Whether you’re sailing as a hobby in your spare time or thinking about chartering a boat for the vacation of a lifetime, sailing has loads of hidden benefits you don’t recognize until you’re aboard the boat. Surprisingly, most of these benefits are health-related! You will be doing wonders for your wellbeing while sailing, and here are some of the biggest ways your body will thank you:
Get more vitamin D
The human body needs vitamin D to aid in many roles and functions. It helps with bone health, supports your immune system, improves heart health, and much more. One of the only ways to get vitamin D is through sun exposure. When you’re sailing, you get plenty of sun on your body, meaning lots of vitamin D is absorbed.
In these days, large portions of the population are vitamin D deficient because they spend a lot of time indoors. Sailing gives you a fun way of getting outside and enjoying the wonderful benefits of nature.
Expose yourself to cold water
Funnily enough, one of the benefits of sailing is that it lets you enjoy cold water swimming. As such, you start seeing all the advantages associated with this. There have been endless studies relating to cold water immersion or ice baths, many of which indicate some key health benefits. Exposing your body to cold water can reduce inflammation and improve cardiovascular health by increasing blood flow around your body. So, if you’re always sore, jumping off the boat in the morning and going for a quick cold dip can help out.
There are also links between cold water swimming and mindfulness. Many people feel more focused and mentally aware after a plunge in the cold sea. When you’re sailing, you have ample opportunities to take a moment and breathe with the cold water surrounding you. Also, it has the additional benefit of being saltwater. This water is enriched with so many minerals that are good for cleansing your skin!
Build muscle and burn calories
Sailing is a very active hobby and it will require some physical effort. You’ll be moving around the boat a lot, grabbing onto things and using your muscles to pull things in place or stop them from turning. After a long day, you’ll feel like you’ve had a proper workout in the gym!
This is because sailing works out almost your entire upper body, particularly your back, arms, shoulders, and abs. If you sail regularly, you’ll start to build these muscles while burning calories at the same time. In short, it can make you a much fitter and healthier human being. And if you’re sore after, remember you have the benefit of cold water plunges to act as your ice bath!
Many people see sailing as a relaxing or boring hobby – but they don’t see it properly! It’s a very active thing to do and a great way to spend your time. As shown in this post, it can lead to lots of hidden health benefits.
