HEALTHY YOU by Judi Sheppard Missett Beyond hydration: How water and water-based activities enhance your physical, mental and emotional health It’s summer, and of course you’re hydrating, right? Because the importance of drinking enough water (6 to 8 cups daily) for optimal physical functioning is widely known and accepted. Our body weight is composed of roughly 60% water and it’s critical we maintain adequate hydration levels. But what about how you find yourself craving a beach vacation, a trip to the lake or river, or a nice long float in a pool? As humans, we live on a planet that is 70% covered with water. Our ancestors’ survival depended on it. And, scientists tell us, our modern selves retain the evolutionary desire for water’s manylayered health benefits. The “Blue Mind” effect In his best seller Blue Mind: How Water Makes You Happier, More Connected and Better at What You Do, marine biologist Dr. Wallace Nichols explored the neuroscience-backed concept that being near, in, or under water induces a happy, calm, and creative state that he called “Blue Mind.” Surprisingly, Dr. Nichols found, you don’t necessarily need an ocean to achieve “Blue Mind.” The positive effects of proximity to water—increased calm, diminished anxiety, boosted creativity, improved job performance—can be equally accessed at a lake, a river, a swimming pool, fountain, in the bathtub, or through recorded sounds or images of rain, waves, or waterfalls. Lessons from the “Blue Zones” Have you heard about the “Blue Zones”? Working with a team of researchers from National Geographic and the National Institute of Aging, Dan Buettner identified five areas on the planet which are home to people who reach age 100 at a rate 10 times greater than in the U.S. Why? Extensive studies reveal that the five Blue Zones—Okinawa, Japan; Ikaria, Greece; Sardinia, Italy; Nicoya, Costa Rica; and Loma Linda, California—are located on, or very near, bodies of water. This proximity, researchers believe, contributes to significantly improved mental health (through reduced stress, lowered anxiety, and heightened sense of well-being) and physical health (through greater physical activity, a more plant- and seafood-based diet, and a healthier overall lifestyle.) “When you take worldwide data on happiness, and you control for everything else,” Buettner explains, “you find that people who live near water are happier than people who don’t.” The “Blue Space” cure Recently, in an article entitled “How to embrace the benefits of ‘blue health,’ the Washington Post reported: “A growing body of research suggests that salt- and fresh-water offer various physical, psychological and social perks. Where blue spaces really shine is their ability to tamp down stress. They may ease mental distress, reduce antipressant use, foster resiliency and boost happiness and other positive emotions.” Further, “at least two hours each week seems to be the sweet spot. Take four 30-minute walks around a lake or go for a single two-hour walk along the beach.” So go ahead Whether you walk around the lake at a local park, or go all out booking your summer beach vacation, the important thing is to get out there, embrace the many health benefits of water-adjacent blue space. And don’t forget to hydrate! JUDI SHEPPARD MISSETT is founder and executive chair of Jazzercise. She created the original dance party workout and started the fitness revolution that became Jazzercise. Judi is a member of the Enterprising Women Advisory Board and has been inducted into the Enterprising Women Hall of Fame. She is a recipient of the Enterprising Women Legacy Award and was the first recipient of the Enterprising Women Business Icon Award. Connect and learn more at www.jazzercise.com. Wonderful Nature / Shutterstock.com enterprising Women 97
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