Ocean Potions – Using the Sea to Improve Your Wellbeing

We often hear about the perils of the ocean, our childhood stories full of pirates, deep dark ocean depths and long tentacled sea creatures which would steal us away from dry land. We hear warnings all the time about dangerous freak waves, sharp toothed critters and strong currents. Yet no one talks about the positives, the benefits almost as endless as the waves crashing onto the shore. So what can the ocean do for us? Surely you want to know. After all, who doesn’t want an excuse to spend more time by the sea?

Human lives have been intertwined with the ocean since ancient times, with the human brain even hardwired to react positively to water, something displayed by the Ancient Greeks who bathed in these medicinal waters and created thalassotherapy; simply, sea therapy. In Europe, this idea of a seashore spa caught on in the 1700s when sea hospitals were constructed along windy stretches of coast and commonly prescribed by doctors at the time. This is one magical natural cure that has received very little dispute throughout medical history, with research centres focussing on both oceanography and biomedicine popping up all over America as we continue to seek answers to our ever-increasing health problems.

In our present developed world, current health epidemics feature depression, obesity, diabetes and dementia, many of which require challenging lifestyle changes to reverse while others remain irreversible. Yet each of these often debilitating conditions have been scientifically proven to be improved by spending time on the coast, while simultaneously reducing the sedentary lifestyle adopted by so many in our overwhelmingly hectic world. In the UK, water sports have saved £314,000,000 in healthcare costs as those spending time by the coast were found to be more likely to reach recommended daily levels of exercise, avoiding the dangerous consequences of a too laidback life. While you embrace the wind in your hair and the cool sea spray on your cheeks, serotonin, also known as the happy hormone, is released in abundance, relieving stress within your body. Exercising with the ocean may also actually improve your athletic performance by removing the hordes of other exercise enthusiasts normally found in clammy gyms or city streets. Working out in busy areas means your brain is overstimulated, constantly flicking through various thoughts in the same way we mindlessly flick through tens of TV channels. Yet by running along our peaceful stretches of coast, your mind and body have more energy to focus on your breathing and on tackling that next towering sand dune. With each deep breath as your feet sink beneath the silky sand, stress is expelled from your body and masses of fresh, clean, oxygen-filled air enter your airways which not only promotes a better night’s sleep dreaming about your next beach trip but also helps alleviate the symptoms of asthma. As the dogwalkers glance towards the crashing waves between ball throws, the negative ions generated with each explosion of pearly white spray accelerates our ability to absorb all that oxygen and balances our levels of the happy hormone.

For those wading out a little deeper, even more saltwater goodness is coming your way. Seawater contains vitamins, mineral salts and amino acids, all essential in our bodies and this salty medicine is easily absorbed by our skin as its composition is very similar to our own blood. The minerals flowing into our bodies as we strike out against the waves are commonly depleted by stress, poor diet and our own manmade chemicals, so who is going to say no to a free natural cleanse and replenish? Magnesium also hides amongst the surf ready to recharge our overworked bodies. This element is the fourth most abundant mineral in our body and aids metabolism, muscle function and is known to hydrate skin, often helping those with eczema. While the salt tingling your lips and establishing dreadlocks in your hair seems to get absolutely everywhere, it is surprisingly naturally antibacterial and so even a quick dip in the sea before a well needed warm up can help spots, cuts, sores and inflamed areas heal more quickly. Just one more benefit for your body; vitamin sea, oh wait, vitamin D, delivered fresh from the sun’s rays to promote healthy immune and digestive systems, strong bones and a healthy mind.

In the fast-paced, whirlwind nature of our new globalised, commercialised, technological society, many people at some point in their lives face mental health issues but the sea even has you covered here too as a natural antidote to anxiety. Cold water swimming may sound a pretty terrible idea in the depths of winter, but this pastime has grown with increasing enthusiasm in recent years. The idea of throwing yourself into a barrage of ice cold waves is that your fight or flight defence mechanism left over from our caveman hunting days kicks in as your brain has little time to think about deadlines or dwindling finances as it is taken over by the more essential need to keep warm and keep afloat. As well as keeping your brain occupied, your heart rate rises, your blood starts pumping and your breathing quickens as part of a stress response. Yet over time, your body accustoms to this shock and your stress is reduced. New research has shown that by adapting your body to cold water stress, you can also more effectively adapt and train your body to deal with all other kinds of stress, so when you walk into that next meeting, room full of strange faces or maybe even a bustling street, your body will feel more cool, calm and collected. Part of this is again due to the magic of magnesium which depresses nerves to relieve nervous irritability. Eco-therapy is a growing form of treatment with surfing now frequently recommended for those with PTSD while the water itself provides a level playing field for all those with disabilities as we lie on our backs and float, joints and muscles relieved from the weight of our bodies. Back on the land, the benefits can be reaped too with simply the colour blue de-stressing the mind whilst the ocean’s sheer vastness can often put our own issues into perspective, maybe not eliminating them but at least making them seem manageable as we gaze out onto the horizon of infinite possibilities. Just spending time in nature reduces the production of cortisol, the stress hormone, while hearing sounds of the ocean, even through an app, triggers a part of the brain associated with self-reflection.  

So with all this goodness to be gained from the ocean, how can we make the most of it? There are almost endless possibilities of what we can get up to at the coast, most of which turn us back into excitable children with sandy noses and tangled hair. While rock pooling is a great way to learn about our oceans first-hand, any touching or moving of creatures can be destructive to our environment and so should always be carried out with care. Swimming is a hobby which benefits both our mind and body but also the ocean as it is a relatively unobtrusive activity alongside kayaking, surfing and paddle boarding. If a calmer, drier pastime is calling out to you, the sky, or sea, is the limit. From dawn stretching and beach yoga to a picnic and painting at lunch followed by an afternoon stroll right up to bird spotting at sunset. If you live away from the coast and are feeling left out, science has shown that all water bodies can have a positive effect on our wellbeing, be it rivers, lakes, moorland streams or urban ponds. In our gadget filled world, virtual reality goggles are now also in creation, aiming that those who cannot make their way onto the sand will still be able to experience the magic of the seaside. So with the oceans doing all this for us, doing our little bit and paying thanks by picking up a leftover bottle or refusing that plastic bag seems a little simpler now, almost essential.

By Neve McCracken-Heywood