Discover the Surprising Science Behind Why Walking on the Beach is Incredibly Therapeutic

When nature soothes your soul

Your skin tingles as the cool breeze washes over your body. With eyes closed, you take a deep inhalation of salt water air and let it permeate through every cell. Whoosh and crash — you listen to the waves flow and break as they crawl toward the shore.

After a walk on the beach, have you ever felt noticeably more relaxed and at peace?

Whenever I’m feeling particularly out of sorts, the beach has always beckoned me as a temporary solution to the anxiety in my mind.

Perhaps you’ve also noticed the therapeutic tendencies of a stroll on the beach.

But have you ever wondered why that is? I have been wondering this lately as I spent about 5 weeks on the coast of Spain healing my soul.

The Power of Nature on Our Mental Health

Let’s start with just nature, which can encompass the beach, parks, greenspaces, or even indoor plants. All of these things have a positive impact on our mental health and attitude.

In a research report done in the UK on mental health and nature, 73% of UK adults responded that nature played a big role in supporting their mental health throughout the pandemic. It helped people to cope with some of the stress and worry present during that time.

In the same poll, 65% of people experienced emotions such as joy, calm, wonder, or excitement when being in nature.

The Benefits of Walking on Sand

Not all beaches feel the same, but when I’m on soft sand, my feet thank me. As long as it’s not too hot!

While my aim for this article is to highlight the mental benefits of walking on the beach, there are some physical ones as well. Walking on sand can help strengthen the ankle and foot muscles. Furthermore, sand is a natural exfoliant so it can make your feet softer.

The Calming Effect of Ocean Sounds and Sights

At night sometimes I’ll set my phone to play calming ocean sounds. Anyone else? Why does it make me feel so relaxed?

Well, it turns out the ebbing and flowing sound of the ocean waves de-stimulates our brains and allows us to relax.

“Clinical Psychologist, Richard Shuster, reports that staring at the ocean changes our brain waves’ frequency. And puts us into a mild meditative state. Ergo, the relaxing effect on the senses when we watch the swell’s ebb and flow.” — The South African College of Applied Psychology.

Another way to think about the sound of the ocean is as non-threatening. These slow soothing sounds can help reinforce not to worry.

Sun Exposure and Its Impact on Our Mood

Have you heard of something called serotonin? It’s a hormone that our body releases which can help a person feel calm and also boost their mood.

In a 2021 study, researchers found that every additional hour spent in light outside was associated with greater happiness and a lower chance of a depressive disorder (Burns et al., 2021).

A study done in Australia found that people had higher serotonin levels on sunny days rather than on cloudy ones.

One thing I’m interested in researching further is our circadian rhythm. I’ve read some research here about the impact sunlight can have on regulating that. I’ve also seen some researchers discuss its importance in our sleep patterns and the strong impact it can have as we go about our days.

I don’t know about you, but the science makes me feel more validated, though I don’t need it to know that I FEEL infinitely better when I’m walking on the beach or sitting by the ocean. I’ve always been drawn to it and have called it my happy place.

What are your experiences with walking on the beach or spending time by the ocean? Can you relate?

-Thanks, Jonathan Townend, RMN / Editor/, for the push to get this article out.