“A beach walk is for stretching your legs and your mind, for looking at life with newfound eyes.” – Sandy Gingras

In today’s world it seems there is always a new fad exercise or self-care regimen, some apparent cure-all to mental and physical health. With endless outside noise telling you what’s best, it can be hard to keep up! What is truly best for you is that you find something that feeds both your body and your soul. Getting up and being active is just as important as actively seeking things that are good for your spirit.

Living on the gulf coast, we are blessed to live near some of the world’s best beaches. Our powdery sand, calm waters, and unparalleled sunsets are a recipe for the perfect physical activity that will get you going and your positivity juices flowing. It’s as simple as taking a walk on the beach.

7 Health Benefits to Walking on the Beach:

1. Walking in sand requires greater effort than walking on a hard surface. In fact, walking in sand requires almost 3x more energy than on hard surfaces. Even if the sand causes you to walk at a slower pace, it still works your muscles and tendons harder.
2. FitReserve says you can burn anywhere up to 350 calories for an hour walk on the beach.
3. Walking on a beach is so relaxing and the best kind of distracting that studies show people walk further distances than they normally would on treadmills, tracks, or city streets.
4. Instead of pounding your joints and feet on hard pavement, sand acts as a natural cushion.
5. You can get your daily dose of Vitamin D in just 10 minutes at the beach! Of course, be sure to wear sunscreen, but allowing your skin to soak in a bit of natural Vitamin D has endless health benefits.
6. Health advocates say that walking barefoot grounds us. The calming sounds and sights of the beach combined with the low-pressure activity of strolling on the beach is actually found to increase serotonin. Not only is sand the best natural exfoliant but it reconnects you to the earth and nature’s beauty, which helps reduce stress.
7. Helps you sleep more soundly. Exercising on the beach helps relieve 3 key factors that inhibit sleep: high stress and anxiety, lack of physical fatigue, and hormonal imbalances. The sun and lowered stress levels immediately help regulate a person’s hormones – making it far easier later that night to get a peaceful and deep sleep.

Taking even 30-minutes to walk on the beach weekly (or daily!) has been found to be an excellent exercise in health and well-being. Our team is taking a pledge for more walks on the beach, and we hope to run into you on a sunny-side stroll in paradise soon!