Living on a peninsula, Floridians have access to over 100 beaches, over a dozen of which are located here in Miami. While going out to appreciate the water and soak up some sun isn’t an oddity among teenagers as a weekend activity, most don’t realize the actual benefits the beach provides. Beaches don’t just get you tan, they can directly improve your health, both mentally and physically. 

     With one in three teenagers suffering from a nervous disorder, according to Healthychildren.org, going to the beach can serve as a way to reduce stress and ease anxiousness. According to WebMd, spending time at the beach can lower your blood pressure, stress hormones, and nervous system arousal levels, all of which correlate to anxiety symptoms and which can provide relief.

     According to Select Health, soaking up the sun improves our cardiovascular health and raises our body’s defenses against possible illnesses, due to the Vitamin D produced by the sun. Vitamin D is essential to our T cells or lymphocytes, which wards off viruses and infections and strengthens your bones and teeth via calcium supply. Sunlight can also help maintain strong bones, due to its calcium content. However, it is pertinent to be aware that there are risks in terms of overexposure to the sun. Things like heatstroke, eye damage, premature aging, and even skin cancer can be produced by taking in too much sun while unprotected. Wearing (and reapplying) sunscreen, hats, and sunglasses all serve as effective precautions you can partake in for protection against UV light.

     According to the Professional Association of Diving Instructors, swimming in saltwater also benefits us physically. Due to its high magnesium levels, being in the ocean helps regulate your muscle, moderate blood sugar levels and improve your sleep. The water is also rich in minerals like zinc, potassium, iron and more, all of which help reduce inflammation, protect our skin, and heal any scrapes, cuts or sores. Saline found in the ocean can also alleviate symptoms from sinusitis and asthma which enhances our breathing.  Even the rhythmic sounds of the waves help us, by balancing out our circadian rhythm. 

     Taking advantage of the exercise opportunities available at the beach also provides for health benefits. Doing activities like sunrise yoga or beach volleyball all engage your body by strengthening your muscles and bones along with improving your brain health. Swimming in the ocean also has a host of benefits including building up endurance and cardiovascular health, improving flexibility and coordination skills, and builds up strength and tones your muscles, almost all of which are utilized while you swim. 

     Going to the beach provides us with benefits that improve our quality of life, both mental and physical, and comes to us at easy access thanks to the topography of where we live, so next time you’re contemplating where to spend your day, try visiting a beach near you.