Seven Mile Fitness: Shoring Up Your Health

Michael Hauf and his family visiting 109th Street beach.

We all know how fun and relaxing the beach can be. That’s why we’re all here at Seven Mile Beach this summer. But I bet you do not realize all of the health benefits one may reap by basking in the sun and swimming in the ocean. From helping with psoriasis to making your workouts more efficient, the beach might be the healthiest spot for many reasons.

Danish author Karen von Blixen-Finecke, best known by her pen name, Isak Dinesen, wrote in 1934: “The cure for anything is salt water — sweat, tears, or the sea.” I’m not qualified to talk about the tears part. We can talk about the sweat later, but today we are going to discuss the sea.

Historically, many doctors have recommended their clients go to the seaside for a myriad number of ailments. The sea is rich with minerals including sodium, chloride, sulphate, magnesium and calcium. Because it is rich in these and other minerals, it is considered antiseptic and can be useful in skin conditions such as psoriasis and eczema. Seawater preserves elasticity of the skin. Balneotherapy is the treatment of disease by bathing in mineral water.

A research article published in Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2016 studied stress and fatigue management using balneotherapy. The improvements were a reduction in the number and intensity of stress-related symptoms, a reduction in pain and fatigue, both physical and mental, and an improvement in stress-related symptoms management, mood, activation, motivation and cognitive functions. The study showed balneotherapy superior to music therapy.

Exercising in nature has been shown to sometimes have greater benefits than exercising elsewhere due to its relaxing, almost meditative, properties. When swimming, the rhythm of your breath can become meditative and has been shown to reduce cortisol levels.

Taking a dip when the ocean is a little cool has numerous benefits as well. It helps stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system through the vagus nerve, which has far-reaching effects such as combating depression and aiding the body in recovery. The vagus nerve controls heart rate and blood pressure, and activation will reduce the risk of heart disease. It also plays a major role in immune response and glucose regulation. In the eyes, it also releases tears. A study in Free Radical Biology and Medicine found an increase in glutathione, one of the bodies most important antioxidants, following cold exposure. This can be viewed as an adaptation to repeated oxidative stress resulting in an increased tolerance to stress, e.g., diseases.

My mother-in-law says, “How can something that feels so good be bad for you,” talking about the sun (and bacon). I think the positives far outweigh the negatives (of both). Where most essential vitamins must be obtained from food, vitamin D can be synthesized through sun exposure. Vitamin D modulates cell growth, neuromuscular and immune function, and reduction of inflammation, and also promotes calcium absorption. Epidemiologic data suggest that vitamin D status could affect cancer risk. A growing body of research suggests that vitamin D might play some role in the prevention and treatment of type 1 and type 2 diabetes, hypertension, glucose intolerance, multiple sclerosis and other medical conditions. Though many benefits of sun are related to vitamin D production there are many other benefits people usually don’t hear about. Sun exposure can help guard against autoimmune diseases, can help treat psoriasis, and releases endorphins. Interestingly enough, it can also help reduce melanoma risk, according to a 2005 report in Cancer Research. Upon exposure, the skin releases a hormone that helps limit oxidative DNA damage resulting from ultraviolet rays and increases gene repair, thus reducing melanoma risk.

The sand might be helping you out more than you know as well. Earthing (or grounding) is based on the discovery that connecting to the Earth’s natural energy is foundational to vibrant health. Being in direct contact with the vast supply of electrons on the surface of the Earth might be a huge positive factor in health and wellness. A study in The Journal of Environmental and Public Health in 2012 states: “Emerging evidence shows that contact with the Earth may be a simple, natural, and yet profoundly effective environmental strategy against chronic stress, ANS (autonomic nervous system) dysfunction, inflammation, pain, poor sleep, disturbed HRV (heart rate variability), hypercoagulable blood, and many common health disorders, including cardiovascular disease.” While taking that leisurely stroll on the sand, you are expending 2.1 to 2.7 times more energy than by walking on a hard surface at the same speed, according to T.M. Lejeune, P.A. Willems, N.C. Heglund, and The Journal of Experimental Biology. It also requires 1.6 to 2.5 times more mechanical work than does walking on a hard surface. Increased energy expenditure means increased oxygen consumption, which means increased calorie burn. The sand is also a natural exfoliant, keeping those feet smooth and healthy (and whatever other body part you’re rubbing in the sand).

While the sea is a virtual panacea, the sunshine is absolutely necessary for optimal health, the sand is helping to keep you grounded, fit and exfoliated, the sea air also has benefits all its own. The negative ions increase your body’s ability to absorb oxygen and balance serotonin levels for optimal mental health. These negative ions can also kill bacteria, improving your health and immune system. Sea air has a lot of free electrons that neutralize free radicals in our body.

Now you can enjoy the beach even more, knowing all of the many benefits you’ve been enjoying without even realizing it. You can be cognizant of how valuable the beach is to your health and well-being. So take Ralph Waldo Emerson’s advice: “Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air.”