Living near the beach is a dream for many people. The idea of soaking up the sounds of ocean waves and laying in the sun is enough for many people to feel truly happy. While the idea of living at the beach sounds very enticing, there are actual health benefits linked to living along the coast!
Moving to the beach offers a wide range of health benefits that can greatly enhance the well-being of anyone. While thousands of people move to the coast each year, the fastest-growing demographics by the beach tend to be young families and retirees. In this blog post, we will look into the many ways in which living near the beach can positively impact your physical and mental health. Whether you're considering a move or already reside near the coast, you'll discover why coastal living is more than just a picturesque setting – it's a gateway to improved health and happiness.
Physical Health Benefits of Living Near the Beach
Increased Activity Levels
Living near the beach provides a wealth of opportunities to stay healthy. From taking a dip in the ocean to walking on the beach, the coastal setting has a tendency to make people want to be more active. If you don’t love the sand, many beach areas offer a slew of paved bike and running paths just off of the beach that offer even more ways to get your heart rate up.
More Sunlight and Vitamin D = Healthier Body
On top of the increased activity levels, the coastal weather can greatly improve your physical health, too. Sunlight is crucial for your body to absorb vitamin D, for example, and living near the coast ensures that your body soaks up plenty of sunlight through each season of the year. Sufficient vitamin D is necessary to maintain bone and teeth health, among many other bodily functions.
While these health benefits are scientifically proven, the weather brings a few disadvantages, too. Sun is crucial for your body, but too much sun is terrible for your body. When living near the beach, it is crucial that you avoid overexposure to the sun and wear sunscreen with an adequate SPF.
Pure Air Refreshes your Lungs
While saltwater might burn your eyes, the salty sea breeze is actually great for your respiratory and immune systems. The sea breeze offers extra protection from getting sick during flu and cold seasons. Any boost to respiratory health ought to be welcome, especially when it requires no additional effort on your part!
In addition, the geographic location and wind patterns of the coast usually mean the pollen levels are much lower than they are inland. This is a major advantage if you have pollen allergies, which are estimated to impact over 20% of Americans.
Mental Health Benefits of Living Along the Coast
The Beach Reduces Stress
For decades, people have talked about the calming effects of the ocean. The soothing effect of ocean waves is hard to overstate. There’s a reason so many sleep machines make their money by imitating the sounds of the ocean!
Beyond just the sounds of the waves, the beach is the perfect setting for relaxation. If you are able to find a quiet stretch of beach, you can spend a full day reading, relaxing, and soaking up the sun all while listening to the waves crash into the sand.
All of these effects are shown to lower levels of cortisol in the body, which is the main stress hormone. Stress is a physical response in the body, and eliminating stress can help your body to feel at ease, get better sleep, and more.
The Beach Is Shown to Boost Your Mood
There have been many studies showing the positive impacts that the beach can have on your mood. Sunlight is known to cause additional levels of serotonin in the body, which is the main hormone that makes us feel happy. Additionally, the color blue is linked with high levels of calmness, which is part of why people find the beach to be so peaceful. All of this together can cause higher overall satisfaction with life and happiness.
The Beach Is Used as a Natural Therapy for Mental Health Disorders
All of the points above about physical and mental health were recognized centuries ago by scientists, and long stays in the beach have actually become a popular natural therapy for depression and anxiety. Both of these mental conditions can be helped by spending time soaking up the ocean waves and breathing in the sea breeze. The beach is also an especially effective treatment for Seasonal Affective Disorder since the weather is often consistent throughout the year with very little seasonal change.
If you move to the beach, you get to experience these calming effects day in and day out with no need to find an escape!
Benefits for Young Families and Retirees
Young Families Thrive by the Beach
Living by the beach is great for families due to many reasons. Aside from encouraging a healthy lifestyle, living by the beach tends to encourage family bonding and entrepreneurial thinking. Both of these things are incredibly valuable for children!
There is very little more important than family. Emphasizing family bonding is critical to raising healthy children. Living near the beach provides a family with many readymade ways to get out and enjoy each other’s company.
Whether it is building sandcastles or playing on the beach, getting together as a family is easy and enjoyable on the coast.
Beyond just that, living near the beach often helps to instill an entrepreneurial spirit in children. This is because many beach towns and cities are ripe with opportunities to start or work with a small business. Whether it is selling snacks on the beach or working at the local surf shop, youth in coastal towns get lots of exposure to the commercial world from a young age.
Benefits for Retirees
There’s a plethora of reasons why folks choose to retire by the beach. It’s no secret that states with large coastlines tend to receive disproportionately high amounts of retirees! The active lifestyle, robust retiree communities, and stellar healthcare are some of the main reasons why.
Getting out and about is one of the best ways to stay healthy while aging. As we mentioned above, getting outside and getting your heart rate up is easy to do near the coast! Whether you choose to ride a bike, go for walks, or swim in the ocean, you will have no shortage of exercise options living near the beach.
It's also easy to stay in shape when you live among other retirees and near robust healthcare systems. In coastal towns, it is incredibly easy to make friends as a senior citizen, and the stellar healthcare offers a great safety net if you ever need it.
Living near the beach goes beyond the aesthetic appeal; it brings a multitude of health benefits that can positively transform the lives of both young families and retirees. On top of that, the beach offers countless opportunities for young families in the way of bonding, recreation, and education. Meanwhile, retirees can relish an active lifestyle, access to healthcare services, and a close-knit coastal community. Whether you're considering a move or already enjoy coastal living, there’s no denying the advantages that living by the beach offers!
If you visit Myrtle Beach or any other place in South Carolina and fall in love, we’re here to help. We at The Boyd Team are committed to helping you find the right property for your needs and dreams. Any question that you have about moving to the area and finding your dream home by the beach is our pleasure to answer. Feel free to send us an email at eddie@boydteam.com or text or call us at (843) 222-8566, and we will get back to you as soon as we can. Being true natives of the Grand Strand and Horry County and with over 25 years of experience in the local real estate market, whether buying or selling, we can help you make your dreams a reality.
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Written by Greg
