Sea air really IS good for you: Neuroscientist reveals how time spent by the coast helps you ‘think with more clarity’ – and why feeling sand between your toes is ‘good for the brain’
The Victorians always said sea air has health benefits – and it turns out that they were right.
Studies show that just breathing it in helps the brain and body produce the chemicals you need to keep you balanced, well and healthy, it’s been revealed.
Dr Rachel Taylor, a leading neuroscientist, explains: ‘When people breathe in sea air, the ions contained in it help the electrical functionality of the brain by 47 per cent as well as creating new neural pathways, which – simply put – allows you to think with more clarity.’
The neuroscientist adds that a trip to the beach can also give you a positive sense of ‘awe and wonder’.
She explains: ‘The coast is an environment for everyone and is particularly great for teenagers struggling with self-esteem. When you look around you and connect with the environment, you realise there is something larger than you. Experiencing awe and wonder increases a sense of well-being plus inspires creativity. The sea air blows the sulks as well as the cobwebs away!’
Studies show that just breathing in the sea air helps the brain and body produce the chemicals you need to keep you balanced, well and healthy (file photo)
The neuroscientist, who collaborated with the outdoor retailer ‘TOG24’ to highlight the benefits of coastal walks, notes that it just takes one day at the sea to kick start this positive process.
Taking a family stroll by the coast has further benefits, Dr Taylor notes. She says: ‘Walking in the fresh air raises oxytocin levels, the in-group hormone. If you feel you don’t belong or are not part of something, you don’t produce oxytocin. A family walk by the sea will release oxytocin and make everyone feel they belong.’
The sea air isn’t the only mood-boosting aspect of seaside strolls. During a coastal walk, it’s beneficial to turn your gaze upwards, the neuroscientist reveals, saying: ‘When you look to the sky, it gives a signal to the brain from your eyes to wake up. You will feel instantly energised.’
Not only that, but Dr Taylor says feeling the sand beneath your feet and between your toes has been scientifically proven to reduce inflammation in the brain and body, plus it helps connect the earth with the 7,000 nerve endings you have in your feet.
For a beach break in Cornwall, consider pretty Pedn Vounder Beach (above) near Land’s End
Scotland is full of superb seaside walking spots – one example is stunning Lunan Bay (above), set on the Angus coastline
To get a dose of sea of air, MailOnline Travel recommends heading to the coastal city of Valencia in Spain, which was recently named Europe’s best coastal destination in a Which? ranking.
Or explore England’s glorious beaches, with sandy hotspots such as Salcombe North Sands in Devon and Pedn Vounder Beach near Land’s End in Cornwall two tempting options.
Scotland is also full of superb seaside walking spots – there’s Edinburgh’s Portobello Beach, the beaches of the Isle of Coll in the Inner Hebrides, and Lunan Bay, set on the Angus coastline, to name but a few.
‘TOG24’ has partnered with well-being app ‘GoJauntly’ to find the best family-friendly coastal walks along the new King Charles III England Coast Path, which will be completed next year and will wind all the way around the coast of England. To download the walks, visit www.tog24.com.
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