You know that you are drawn to the water; you love being on it, around it and in it. But have you ever stopped to wonder why?
Water has a remarkable pull on us as human beings. You love being on it, around it and in it.
Although you don’t need a reason to be on the water, boating has several health benefits that should make you feel good about your choice to be out in your boat.
Lower Stress
When you are immersed in water, a hormone called catecholamine is released in your body. This hormone helps to relieve stress.
You are not alone if you have found the sound of rippling water to be soothing and peaceful. There is another reason why water is calming.
In our busy environments, there are all kinds of noise. There is traffic, planes, and all types of commotion that is present in our everyday lives.
Your mind does its best to filter through all of the input as you go about your day. This takes effort on the part of your senses.
You are always “on,” and attention fatigue is real. In a natural setting, like being on the water, it takes your mindless effort to sort through irrelevant details.
This, too, is a stress reliever. Chronic stress can damage the cardiovascular, immune, digestive, and nervous systems.
Boating, in actuality, is a therapeutic and healthy activity that has a positive impact on our wellbeing.
Blue Mind
According to author Dr. Wallace Nichols, a marine biologist, water offers a “blue mind.”
Dr. Nichols says that “We now know, thanks to science, that the mere sight and sound of water promotes wellness by lowering cortisol, increasing serotonin and inducing relaxation.
It only makes sense that being on a boat is one of the best ways to access the wellness benefits of the water.”
When on the water, a general sense of happiness and calm begins to permeate your being and places you in what Dr. Nichols calls a “blue mind.”
In today’s world, with all of the technology and urbanization, there is little relief from day-to-day bombardment.
Boating allows us to reset our brains, giving us time to relax and recharge. It is an escape from all of the stressors that are part of our everyday lives.
Truly Connect With Others
Too often today, all of our connections are in the form of text, tweets, Facebook posts, and other forms of social media.
Humans are social creatures. You need to make those connections, and it can seem that social media is the way to go.
There is very little that is social about all these forms of communication. When boating with friends and family, you are spending time on authentic social connections.
However, nothing can replace one-on-one with a healthy relationship, and those can only be built by spending time in the presence of others.
Boating with others is a perfect way to build those lasting friendships. Being on the water is a place that is already conducive to peace and calm.
The lessening of stress and pressure allows for enjoyment and bonding that comes from being with those you care about.
Move It Or Lose It
We have heard that phrase before. It merely means that if you live a sedentary life, you will lose the ability to move and be active.
The human body is meant to be active, and moving benefits your health. Boating gets us up off the couch and out of the house.
Instead of sitting in front of a television screen or on your computer, you will be moving and doing.
If you also engage in fishing, swimming, or skiing, you will be getting even more exercise and enjoying yourself at the same time.
Soak Up The Sun
A perfect way to get vitamin D; being out on your boat in the sunshine is good for you.
For your body to absorb calcium, which promotes bone growth, you need vitamin D.
A study has shown that people with a higher level of vitamin D have a lower risk for some forms of cancer, such as breast, colon, and prostate.
Vitamin D helps regulate your immune system and plays a significant role in your cells’ life cycle.
Just 15 minutes in the sunshine each day will provide you with the amount of vitamin D that you need.
Don’t forget the sunscreen, and don’t forget to use your need for this vitamin as a valid reason to be out on the water as often as you can.
Healthy Environment
Being on the water has health benefits to offer you, and you have health benefits to provide the water.
Your love of being in your boat on the water lends itself to a respect for nature and a desire to protect this resource for generations to come.
There are easy steps that you can take. To Reduce Water Pollution When Boating.
These steps will ensure that the water remains healthy so that you can get out on it in your boat whenever you want.
Just as you have a connection with your friends, you also have a connection with the environment. Your love of the water inspires a desire to protect and preserve this invaluable resource.
In Conclusion
The health benefits of boating are enough for a person to want to be on the water. But there is more to boating than that.
There is an inherent need to be on the water, almost as if it calls to you. You miss being on the water if you have to be away from it for any length of time.
That feeling was, perhaps, best captured by John F. Kennedy in remarks that he made at a dinner for America’s Cup Crews on September 14th, 1962. It still stands true today.
“I really don’t know why it is that all of us are so committed to the sea, except I think it’s because, in addition to the fact that the sea changes, and the light changes, and ships change, it’s because we all came from the sea. And it is an interesting biological fact that all of us have in our veins the exact same percentage of salt in our blood that exists in the ocean, and, therefore, we have salt in our blood, in our sweat, in our tears. We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea – whether it is to sail or to watch it – we are going back from whence we came.”
