The Wellness Benefits of Boating

Carene Kunkler is an accomplished product development and marketing executive who has worked for industry giants that include Procter & Gamble and Lens Crafters. One of Carene Kunkler’s favorite pastimes is boating.

In recent years, numerous studies have shown that being surrounded by water comes with many health benefits. These benefits range from lower levels of stress and anxiety to a healthier heartrates and breathing patterns.

In his comprehensive collated study “Multisensory Well-Being and Boating,” acclaimed experimental psychologist and Oxford University professor Charles Spence ultimately found that “blue space” (the water) has even better health benefits than “green space” (areas of vegetation). In other words, getting in, on, or around large bodies of water is good for you.

Marine biologist Dr. Wallace J. Nichols echoes this sentiment, touting the relaxing effects of being on or near the water. He cites research that shows merely seeing and hearing water can lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol and boost levels of the mood-boosting neurotransmitter serotonin. In fact, Dr. Nichols calls boating a “brain reset.”