Boating Can Be Beneficial to Your Health
By Virginia Laird
You may already be daydreaming of the wind in your hair, the ripples across the water, and the sound of the motor your boat makes while driving it across the gulf. Although some are doubters, boat life has its merit and offers many health benefits. Some enjoy the ability to relax with no time demands. Others may be taken with the action boating can add to life on the water. If you are an avid boater, chances are you are already planning and preparing for your first trip to the lake or river this spring. Health and wellness experts suggest that boating can improve your health in a variety of ways:
- Boating activities can help burn calories
- Soaking up the sun can provide a dose of Vitamin D
- Boating can help decrease stress
Boating Activities Can Help Burn Calories
For those who enjoy the activities which accompany the excitement of boating, it is beneficial to know these can provide exercise while having fun. While you may already be aware that swimming is a great source of exercise, there are others which specifically accompany boating that can provide a workout as well, including water skiing and tubing. These activities can burn calories and strengthen muscles. So does using personal watercraft.
Soaking Up the Sun Can Provide a Dose of Vitamin D
Vitamin D is necessary for the body to maintain good overall health. Research has long suggested that a natural way to fuel up on Vitamin D is to spend time outdoors. Boating can provide this opportunity. Health and wellness professionals advise that while soaking up this vitamin, it is best to make sure you wear sunscreen while boating. This can help prevent sunburn and sun damage.
Boating Can Help Decrease Stress
Many who enjoy boating admit that life away from daily distractions help to clear the mind and reduce stress. Whether you are fishing or simply taking in the beauty of the land from a location on the water, the peace which can be found while in the middle of this body of water is irreplaceable. Health and wellness experts advise that boating can promote mental health. Research increasingly advises that taking time to slow down, away from the cares of daily routine, can provide mental stability.
With all these benefits to gain, it may be time to begin planning your first boating adventure of the season. If you have never been boating, it may be time to consider giving it a try. Have fun, pack your life vests, and bring the sunscreen. Now get out there and enjoy life on the boat.
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Sacramento, Calif.