Snorkel yourself healthy & happy - a simple and effective way to enjoy nature, get fit and find tranquility underwater
When Tidal Tao first started our Snorkeling Safaris, we were convinced that people would love and remember the fish, the colouful ocean critters, and the corals. We were wrong, sure every time we got out the water people waxed lyrical about the fish, they loved seeing the ocean life but the thing that stuck with them most was the sense of peace and calm, the relaxation and gentle non strenuous workout makes snorkeling a great way to keep your body and mind fit and healthy
Health Benefits of Snorkeling
The closer we looked at this, the more we begun to realize the immense health and wellness benefits of snorkeling. According to Cristina Desa, a Psychiatric Mental Health Practitioner with 15 years experience with Psychiatry and complementary therapies, Snorkeling can help relieve stress and anxiety by releasing endorphins that make you feel better as well as increases self-confidence and strengthen your natural immune system. But, snorkeling takes mental health benefits even further. The controlled mouth breathing required of snorkelers is similar to many of the meditative breathing techniques that seek to relax and calm the body (such as yoga).
Relaxation
Snorkeling regularly may help you feel more calm and at ease through simple relaxation. Snorkeling is also a very fun activity especially when you encounter the most colorful creatures on earth. Watching their natural habitat and observing their behavior can be very helpful for patients who suffer from anxiety disorders and ADHD. It's a fun way to practice mindfulness while exercising. We have found that you can spend hours snorkeling and the time passes without you even noticing. The exclusion of external stimuli from sound and normal sight makes a huge difference to how your brain functions (and relaxes) - it is almost a spiritual, other worldly experience.
Exercise
And then, even beyond mental health to the physical benefits, snorkeling increases your maximal oxygen uptake, a good indicator of aerobic fitness. Certified swim coach Pete Spagnuolo uses snorkels in swim training to improve lung capacity and aerobic fitness in competitive swimmers and triathletes. Breathing through a tube involves some resistance and requires greater exertion than free breathing. Triathlete-Europe says this restricted airflow simulates the conditions a competitor experiences at high altitudes and may improve training results. Expelling water through the snorkel demands an explosion of breath, emptying the lungs so you can take in oxygen more deeply.
Like any water-based exercise, snorkeling also has the added benefit of providing healthy exercise to those with joint pain, stiffness or obesity problems. Exercising in the water reduces the impact forces generally associated with other cardiovascular exercises like walking and jogging. Plus, it’s relaxing nature and seeing interesting fish and colourful creatures makes the entire workout a lot more pleasurable, to the point that it hardly even feels like exercise!
Creativity
Hopping in the shower, as many people know, can be a great way to trigger ideas. According to the Huffington Post "In our always-busy, screen-saturated lives, we don't give our minds much of a chance to rest and wander freely. But when we do, the mind switches into a different mode of engagement, known as the default mode network -- the brain network associated with daydreaming, imagination, consolidation of memories, self-referential thought, insight and introspection. The default mode network is extremely important for creativity. The shower is a proxy for the Ocean, You step in the shower, and you remove a lot of the visual stimulation of your day. Auditorially, it's the same thing -- it's a steady stream of 'blue noise.' You're not hearing voices or processing ideas. You step into the shower and it's like a mini-vacation."
Relaxing, destressing and exercising all at the same time, it's no wonder snorkeling is one of the best ways to keep fit, happy and healthy:)
