Leisure Lines

REFLECTIONS from a practitioner and educator who served 44 years in the field of recreation and leisure services

Friday, December 02, 2005

Walk the Beach!


OUR BODIES are made to move! After being reclined and stretched out in a bed for eight hours or more to get our necessary sleep and rest, we need to move about. A life in bed or sitting in a chair not only gets boring, it is not good for any of us. We need physical movement - and as much as our bodies will allow. When we are young, most of us are able to stand, walk, jump, run, and have our fingers, hands, arms, legs, and feet in motion for extended periods of time! However, at some point the aging process begins to slow us down. This occurs, of course, at different times for different people. If at all possible, we need to keep pushing this slow-down process further and further out in front of us. With good practice, some of us will be able to continue lifestyles which are very physically active well into our senior years.

One activity, health and medical professionals claim, is the very best kind of physical exercise: walking. And, most of us - except for disabled individuals - can do it! Yes, the distance we will be able to walk comfortably will differ, but with reasonably good health, walking can be a lifetime activity for all of us.

There are numerous places where we can walk: at our homes; down the street, around the block, at the mall, around the track, at the gym, at the golf course, or on the trail. Perhaps one of the best places, however, to consider walking is the beach!

Walking the beach provides us with the opportunity for exercise, of course, but with additional benefits as well. On the beach we are able to feel the sand between our toes; we are able to cast our eyes out over the water; we are able to hear the sounds of the surf, and we are able to take in all the other sights, sounds, and smells of the natural environment. Oftentimes, we are able to enjoy warm rays of sunshine. On some beaches we are able to feel the cool breezes from the ocean and perhaps pick up some seashells!

As a great physical exercise, as a direct benefit to your health and well-being, and as a excellent choice of a leisure activity, walk the beach!
__________
The beach pictured above is in Destin, Florida

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