Is walking along the beach the best way to relax?

A 2019 study found that spending at least two hours in nature per week helps lower levels of cortisol, a primary stress hormone. It also increased overall feelings of well-being. Walking along the shore each day is a simple but effective way to calm the cortisol response in your brain.



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A walk on the beach is great for the body and mind. It's a wonderful workout and is especially good for strengthening the legs, knees, and ankles. It also burns more calories than walking on flat surfaces like concrete or a treadmill. Just be sure to know your limits, especially on super steep slopes or rocky terrain.

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Walking Is Great, But Walking on the Beach Is Even Better Exercise—Here's Why. A hardy beach walk can be double the exercise of your typical walk—plus, more healthy benefits.

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Sand provides resistance that strengthens your arches, ankles and leg muscles. Your foot will be going through its full range of motion, and every time your foot sinks into the sand, your muscles have to work extra hard to push you back up and move you forward.

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Beach walking can work wonders for building strength in certain parts of your body! The increased resistance strengthens the muscles between your feet and back, especially your calves, quadriceps, and glutes.

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Brain imaging research has shown that proximity to water is strongly linked to your brain releasing feel-good hormones, including dopamine and oxytocin.

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The fresh air and the sound of the waves can help to relax and clear your mind, and walking can also help to increase your energy levels and reduce stress. Walking on the sand and breathing in fresh sea air can allow you to focus on other things.

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Walking on the beach has proven benefits to your emotional and mental health. A 2019 study found that spending at least two hours in nature per week helps lower levels of cortisol, a primary stress hormone. It also increased overall feelings of well-being.

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Likewise, spending time at the beach can lessen anxiety and nervous system arousal, which is what makes you feel stressed and anxious. It lifts your mood. Time on the beach increases your self-esteem and promotes relaxation. People with attention deficit disorder can feel calmer at the beach.

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Salt Water Is Healthy For You Not only is the salty air good for you, but so is the salt water. Salt water is excellent for cleaning up infections and acts as an antibacterial. There is iodine in the water as well, which is known to help boost your immune system.

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In fact, the repetitive sound and sight of waves promote a meditative state. That's why when we're at the beach, we feel unburdened, lighter, and this positively affects our mood.

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We're naturally drawn to aquatic hues and people associate this color with qualities like calm, openness, depth and wisdom. We are beginning to learn that our brains are hardwired to react positively to water and that being near it can calm and connect us, increase innovation and insight, and even heal what's broken.

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Studies show that there are clear links when it comes to living in a coastal area and mental well-being. Being at the beach means our mind and body both get a cognitive break. Quite simply, it's almost like pressing the reset button for yourself.

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