We often hear about people traveling or moving to the coast for health reasons but what are the actual benefits to living near the salty pond?

The location encourages physical activity

It’s no mystery that living seaside has shown to promote active lifestyles by offering a host of athletic hobbies including walking, jogging, swimming, surfing, volleyball, and so much more! Paired with scenic surroundings and salty air, you won’t even realize you’ve been exercising all day and giving your body an outlet to release stress. Maintaining an active lifestyle not only improves physical health by strengthening muscles and flexibility but can also boost your mood and fight depression.

Being outside also exposes you to natural sunlight which also carries a multitude of benefits. With proper SPF protection, the sun gives you a good dose of vitamin D, which can help fight depression as well as instruct the cells in your gut to absorb calcium and phosphorus — two minerals that are essential for maintaining strong and healthy bones and preventing osteoporosis.

Breathe in the salty air

18^th century physicians were already prescribing visits to the seashore for their patients with respiratory issues for a long time. Well, it turns out they were probably onto something! Sea air, which contains iodine, salt, and magnesium, encourages respiratory health and can reduce the symptoms of asthma, promote respiratory health, improve allergies and skin problems, and stimulate the immune system. It also appears to have a soothing effect on the respiratory system’s mucosal lining so if you’re one of many living with health conditions such as sinusitis, you could benefit from living by the sea.

There’s something in the water

It may not taste good, but sea water can be wonderfully soothing for your skin. Sea water is rich in minerals such as magnesium, chloride, sodium, potassium, iodine and Sulphur, many of which have curative and anti-inflammatory effects on the skin. Indeed, a 1999 study from the University of Freiburg in Germany found that a combination of sea water and UVB radiation can improve troubling skin problems such as dermatitis and psoriasis. Have sensitive or eczema prone skin? Soaking in ocean water is a great soother.

Mental health haven

You’ve probably picked up that living by the ocean has positive effects on both the body and mind. Exercise, sunlight, and fresh air are all boosters for your mind and mood. A study from October 2019 published in the journal Health & Place seems to back this theory and suggested that people who lived closer to the ocean had lower mental distress, which gradually reversed as you moved inland. The researchers surveyed almost 26,000 people to analyze the mental health well-being effects of being close to the coast. The results showed that those who live less than 1km from the sea are 22% less likely to have mental health symptoms compared to those living over 50km away. This could be attributed to many reasons but there’s no doubt that even just looking out at the ocean has a therapeutic effect. The feeling that your problems have suddenly become trivial when looking out at the ocean can stem from the power of awe which has shown to have interesting psycho-emotional benefits.

What do you think?

For many of our patients who live in New England, visits to the ocean is an enjoyable routine and they tend to live active, healthy lifestyles. Do you feel like living near the ocean has had a noticeable effect on your overall well-being?