Why We All Need Some Vitamin Sea

As we escape to sunny shores this summer, the experts reveal why your getaway to the great blue is good for you.

- Eleanor Vousden

The roar of crashing waves, the fresh ocean air and the humbling sight of an endless blue horizon – there’s no denying the restorative effects of the ocean. In fact, the sea is steeped in healing history. Victorian doctors prescribed seaside trips, while the ancient Greeks soaked in the mineral-rich water. A recent study also found that your proximity to the coast correlates to your health. Ready to dive in? Here are the benefits the ocean has to offer…

IT CLEARS YOUR MIND

There’s a reason the sea beckons us when we’re seeking respite. “The sound and vision of the ocean lifts our mood,” says consultant psychiatrist Dr Arghya Sarkhel. “The touch of sand and the smell of a seaside breeze leads to relaxation. On a biological level, this audio-visual stimulus incites our parasympathetic nervous system – that activates ‘rest and digest’, as opposed to ‘fight or flight’,” he says. Getting into water creates this meditative state, triggered by a change in breathing patterns and slower heart rate. “When I’m swimming, there’s no noise except for the crashing waves and my breath,” says Michelle Moroney, founder of Cliffs of Moher Retreat (cliffsofmoherretreat.com), who swims daily in the Atlantic Ocean. “There is no stress, no worries – it’s a spiritual experience.” However, if you can’t access the beach, you can still benefit from your local pool. Research from YouGov and Swim England found that swimming significantly reduced the symptoms of anxiety or depression in adults, resulting in over a third reducing, or no longer taking, medication for their condition.