“I have always loved the beach. The smell of the salty water, the wind in my face, the gentle roar of the waves; all combine to create a sense of peace and calm.” –Anonymous
Be it Eid, Basant, long drive or monsoon or summer heat, karachiites merely need an excuse to visit the beach. And why not? Ultimately it is the best way to unplug yourself from your daily busy schedule. However it seems grownups often do not find enough time to visit the beach as frequently as they should.
Your job, studies, relationships or little things like household chores put you under a lot of stress that you go through daily. You might not realize the amount of wear and tear you go through physically and mentally. This build up of stress can lead you to depression, anxiety, general irritability and make you incapable of performing routine activities efficiently.
According to a study published in Journal of environmental psychology natural environments like beaches and waterfront parks offer more restorative benefits to people than gyms, entertainment venues and the built urban environment.
6 Reasons Why The Beach Is Good For Your Health
1. Even though, us Pakistanis are not very much fond of the sun, neither should we as we are already aware of the risks; there are some benefits of the sunshine to your health system. In just the time your skin starts to turn pink or tan, you body has made enough vitamin D with your daily dose. Vitamin D is required by your body to absorb calcium which makes your bones and teeth stronger. Other sources of vitamin D are fish, liver and egg yolk. Exposure to sunlight has also been linked to release of happy hormone-endorphins and prevention of autoimmune disease.
2. Sand is known to have its own benefits specifically for your feet. Feet are one of the most important part of your body when it comes to stability and exhaustion. However they are quite underrated. Your feet have more sweat glands than any other part of your body. Clamped tightly in your shoes more than 8 hours a day is too suffocating for your skin. Walking and standing in shoes for long periods of time also restricts foot muscle use and increases stress in your leg muscles. So take those shoes and socks off, take a walk on the beach. This will help your skin breath, make your muscles work and sand also gives you a free pedicure scrubbing off the dead skin and giving your clean fresh feet. Choose walking on the sand nearer to the sea if walking on unwieldy sand is too tiring for you as it does require more energy than walking on a hard surface.
3. Walking in the sand allows you to make direct, physical contact with the earth. This allows you to directly connect with the earth; we’re getting a sufficient supply of electrons, which supports our immune system to function at an optimal level. Also known as ‘earthing’.
4. When you hit the beach, you are bound to spend some time in the ocean. The sea water has a plethora of minerals for your benefit. These help detoxify your system and enhances healing. Magnesium produces calming effect on your nerves especially through the soles of feet as they have the most neurons.
5. Sea water is known to maintain elasticity of your skin keeping you young and enhancing your appearance. Sea water also improves circulation especially during swimming. Swimming has major beneficial effects on joint conditions such as arthritis, skin condition such as psoriasis and is known to help in depression.
6. Going to the beach also helps you unplug and leads to digital detoxification of your system. Away from wifi and phone signals, detached from your gadgets- some yoga poses, aerobics or simple sports like volleyball can help you alleviate depression and lighten up your mood. On a side note avoid taking your gadgets to the beach anyway as sand gets everywhere you don’t want to spoil your favorite gadget while you’re working on shedding some stress off your mind and body.
There is a controversy about sun block lotions blocking off rays vital for Vitamin D production in an attempt to block harmful rays that can cause skin cancer. Doctors suggest ‘responsible sun exposure’ that is after initial ten minutes of unprotected exposure wear your sun screen. Ten minutes are enough for your daily vitamin D production.
Remember, that the sea is not just your place, it is home to innumerable creatures and it is their breeding ground as well; Specifically during June and July (the summer monsoon season) when the tides are high. Keep your beach trips for comparatively cooler days to minimize sun exposure and risks of drowning. The study published in the journal of environmental psychology also states that
Mild temperature days and low tides offer the most restorative environments when visiting the beach. “Beachgoers visiting on a day nearly 3 degrees (F) warmer than average were 30 percent less likely to perceive the beach or coastal park as restorative, compared with those visiting on average or cooler than average days.” So beat the summer heat, grab your bottle of lemonade and hit the beach before the tides get too high!
