Summer Gym Membership: The Beach
A walk on the beach.
It’s one of life’s greatest privileges and beach combing has incredible health benefits.
*How about exercise for the eyes? Focusing at different distances uses muscles and keeps your eyesight in better shape! Go looking for something – a specific rock (moonstones, anyone?), drift wood, shells, animals in the ocean – and use your near and faaaarrrrrr sight! http://www.naturalnews.com/035506_eyesight_exercises_presbyopia.html
*Buff those callouses and exfoliate your skin! Articulate your feet as you step in the sand. After a long walk, your metatarsal bones and toes can feel farther apart, your muscles stretched and strengthened, and your skin may even feel softer. http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/02/24/dry-skin-brushing.aspx
*Use your “fifth line” to walk through the leg. That is, step on your heel with a straight leg and feel the pelvis move over the foot as you stride forward. If you are walking with your upper body forward, you will appear stooped and your knees, ankles and feet will complain about it before you are done finding treasures. Keep your head up, your knees straight and feel your hips getting stronger. When you are upright this way, you’ll be building stronger bones too. Amazing multitasking! http://www.katysays.com/walk-that-way/
*Meditate your soul. We know there are benefits to being close to nature and at the beach we can enjoy the added luxury of the sound of ocean waves to bring us into harmony with the heartbeat of the Earth. Breathe in the salty air and give thanks. Thankful people live longer! http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/stress-management/in-depth/meditation/art-20045858
*Get your (creative) juices flowing! Need further evidence of why you should walk on the beach this summer? Here are a couple to keep you going. Have fun!
http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-9099/the-surprising-health-benefits-of-going-barefoot.html
http://news.stanford.edu/news/2014/april/walking-vs-sitting-042414.html?hn
