Boating isn’t really an activity that’s exclusively for the rich and famous. Because of the increasing use of fiberglass, many fiberglass products are now available for many types of consumer items. Fiberglass is especially common for boats, and one of the reasons for this is that the use of this material makes the price of the fiberglass boat much more affordable.
So why go boating? If you’re a boating enthusiast, it can be very hard to explain why boating is such a passion for you. But you can always just answer the question with a list of health benefits—this is the type of answer that anyone can understand. It also helps that these reasons are all true:
Mental Health
Some boating fans say that they can go crazy when they’re unable to go boating for too long. While that may be an exaggeration, it’s true that boating really helps to improve your mental health. The feeling of being free and outdoors, the sound of the wind, the splashing of the water, and the rhythmic movement of the boat can be very soothing and relieve your stress, and stress is a major contributor to many types of serious medical conditions.
It also improves your mood especially if you go boating in the ocean with the salty air. The salty air is full of charged ions that help your body to absorb oxygen more efficiently, and this can in turn improve your serotonin levels. Serotonin is a hormone that regulates your mood, and a low level of serotonin is associated with increased risks of depression.
Cardiovascular Health
When you go sailing, you can end up engaging in plenty of very intense activities that can boost your oxygen intake. This can boost your cardiovascular health, and reduce the risk of such conditions as hypertension.
Muscle Strength and Endurance
In some ways, the activities in sailing can be as hard on your muscles as lifting weights. This can help you boost the strength and endurance of your muscles, especially for your shoulders and back.
Improved Agility
When you’re sailing, you have to hoist sails and pull lines. These activities can eventually improve your motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
Spatial Awareness
When you’re maneuvering your boat, you have to be aware of the size of your boat and of the space needed to maneuver it. Boating can then improve your spatial awareness, which you can then make use of in land-based activities as well. In other words, boating can make you a better driver!
Enhanced Concentration
Boating isn’t an activity that encourages lack of concentration. That’s not really safe. You have to concentrate on various tasks to take care of everyone’s well being and to keep the boat from sinking. Eventually this can become second nature for you, and it can help you with other tasks that require concentration.
Better Teamwork
In larger boats, it may not be enough for a single person to crew the watercraft. It may require a captain and a crew, and for this team to work effectively they must be able to maintain effective communications with each other even in times of stress. Learning how to do this with a large boat can also make you a better team player at work.
Improved Organization
You can’t be haphazard when it comes to boat operations and maintenance. You have to be organized and methodical, so that your boat is always in top shape. Such an attitude can carry over to other aspects of your life, and your work and your home life can benefit if you’re more organized!