Your Brain On Boating - Scientific Evidence Boating Is Good For Your Health
The idea of boat therapy is something many of us have probably joked over while looking for excuses to get on the water. Though during a recent interview conducted by BoatU.S. magazine with renowned Marine Biologist Dr. Wallace Nicholas, Dr. Nicholas presents research pointing to truth behind the statement, "boating makes you healthier".
"Green space", is a common concept where designated city areas are filled with plants to provide relaxing natural escapes from everyday city life. Dr. Nicholas has coined the term "blue space", referring to lakes, rivers, oceans, bays, and creaks that help separate us from the stresses of everyday life. In Dr. Nicholas's New York Times best selling book Blue Mind, research is displayed on how blue spaces effect the "blue mind", where we are separated from the pressures and distractions of life. Dr. Nicholas refers to these life stressors as the "red mind". In the BoatU.S. article, Dr. Nicholas tells that the blue mind "separates us from the pressures and distractions of life or the "red-mind". Having a blue mind lessens the stresses of the every day and gives us a break from our overstimulated lives.
In the article. Dr. Nicholas comments "Blue mind takes us from the pre-frontal cortex, responsible for things like planning and decision making, to our default moke network, when we're thinking about others or ourselves and not specific tasks." From a study out of University of Exeter Medical School in the United Kingdom, it has been shown that being on water adds wellness and emotional benefits to peoples lives, as patients have both said they feel better as well, and their vital signs such as breathing, blood pressure, and heart rate agree!
So moral of the story... take time to get on the water and enjoy yourself! It may not only be fun, but a great step towards better overall health.
Read the whole article from BoatU.S.