“Oh, I do like to be beside the seaside.” Those old music hall songwriters knew a thing or two. Seaside vacations may come and go in fashion, but they will never be far from the top of the scale. Families love them and, when it comes to true relaxation, the sort that sets you up for productive work, there is nothing quite like the beach.
Skin Tonic
Your skin is the biggest organ of your body and it is the way nature communicates between you and your environment, so it is important to keep it healthy.
Sunshine on the skin (in limited amounts) produces the vitamin D which is essential for many aspects of healthy skin and bones. 10 minutes or so on the beach will do the trick.
Your skin is constantly being renewed as old cells die off. Sand is a brilliant exfoliant, especially on the soles of your feet. Walking on the beach is like a reflexology session in itself.
Seawater is full of the nutrients and salts which promote healthy skin and rapidly heal wounds and infections.
Healthy Body
Although you may associate a beach holiday with idleness, in fact, the beach is constantly inspiring you to exercise more than you would at home or work.
Swimming, of course, is tremendous exercise, and just walking in water is a good workout. Walking or running on sand uses far more muscles and energy than doing the same on a hard surface.
Beaches abound with opportunities for exercise. Think about all the activities you associate with your beach trips in the past: softball, volleyball, frisbee, cycling, even building sand castles. They all burn up the calories. Some beach hotels provide guests with a wide range of sporting activities. The Marriott Hilton Head resort in South Carolina is a good example, with tennis courts, golf courses, and watersports.
All this activity, combined with the air that you can only breathe by the sea, will help you to sleep better than you have done for months. Sleep is the great regenerator of human bodies, and most experts agree that we do not get enough of it.
Healthy Mind
The greatest benefit of the beach is the almost miraculous way in which it helps you to relax. As soon as you arrive, you will find yourself taking deep breaths. The healthy air and the sound of the waves have a mesmerizing effect on the nervous system, releasing serotonin which are nature’s own feel-good gift to your brain.
Anyone who suffers from the effects of stress or depression will almost always be helped by a few days on the beach. The light, the sounds, and the exercise all combine to combat the effects of modern living.
Get Beside the Sea
A beach vacation may not furnish you with adventures that will impress everyone in the office when you go back to work, but it will certainly do what a vacation is meant to: refresh you in mind and body for the weeks that lie ahead.
