Fishing can be a great hobby and an amazing way to spend time doing something you like. Many people treat it as a sport as it is a very active passion. There are many reasons to pick up fishing, and one of them is the fact that it can make you healthier, both mentally and physically. Fishing experts from FindyourFish shared information about the health benefits of this activity with us. Let’s have a look at six health benefits of fishing.
Fishing Can Boost Your Immune System
Fishing is an outdoor activity. Aside from breathing fresh air, you can also enjoy a higher intake of vitamin D. It is a very important vitamin that increases your immune system’s functions, keeps your mind sharp, and is responsible for regulating calcium and phosphate levels. The better your immune system, the less likely it is you will get sick and if you do, you can get better faster. A strong immune system is also responsible for keeping your bones healthy and making recovery and healing from sickness or injury faster and more effective.
Fishing Can Improve Your Mental Health
Being outside and fishing can give you amazing mental health benefits. Fishing allows you to unwind and forget about everyday worries. Lowering your stress levels helps to prevent many illnesses, including depression and anxiety. Did we mention vit. D already? It also makes your nervous system work properly and can boost your mood in no time.
According to much research, vitamin D levels can influence your mental health. Your body transports the vitamin to your liver and kidneys, where it’s converted into an active hormone. As we know, the right hormone levels can keep your mental health intact. People with a vitamin D deficiency often experience seasonal affective disorder. This is why people in northern countries are more prone to “winter depression”. In extreme cases, a lack of vitamin D can cause depression, and even lead to schizophrenia. The more time you spend outside, the more chances of providing your body with this crucial vitamin.
To catch a fish, you need to learn and practice various skills and techniques. This way, you can challenge and stimulate your mind. When your neurons are busy, your mind stays sharp for longer. You might notice better concentration. Remember that keeping your mind busy can help prevent various cognitive declines and diseases, even Alzheimer’s. People who don’t stimulate their brains frequently can experience negative impacts of old age sooner than those who exercise their brain.
Fishing Can Improve Your Cardiovascular Health
Even though it might not seem like it, fishing requires a lot of physical work. When you catch a fish or carry heavy gear, your heart rate can spike. In effect, you can enjoy a better fitness level and improve your heart’s health.
Additionally, being outdoors can lower your blood pressure, decreasing the risk of heart disease. The less you stress, the better your cardiovascular health can be.
Lower Cortisol Levels
An activity such as fishing can drop your cortisol levels. Cortisol is a hormone which is responsible for making us stressed. If you are constantly stressed out, you might notice various health problems. People who overstress have a higher risk of stroke, heart attack, and hypertension. You might also notice migraines and tension headaches that appear because your body muscles are constantly tense, or even suffer from chronic pain. Additionally, stress can impact your endocrine system and gastrointestinal system, causing for example Irritable Bowel Syndrome. In many cases, amounts of stress that are too high can cause body inflammation and onset of autoimmune diseases.
As you can see, being in a constant “fight or flight” mode can be destructive for one’s body. This is why it’s so crucial to reduce cortisol levels. The good news is that fishing and being outdoors can help you with that. You might be thinking “Sure, but I can’t go fishing everyday”. Don’t worry, even when you stress everyday, spending as little as 30 minutes a week in nature can help to drop your cortisol levels and keep them low for around seven days.
Fishing Can Help You Lose or Keep Up Your Weight
Because you use your muscles and burn a lot of calories, fishing can help you with keeping up a healthy weight. Many anglers need to walk from their home or car for quite a while to get to a body of water, which increases the amount of aerobic exercise. That means this hobby can make you feel better and look better!
Some people pick up a sport they don’t like to shred their bodies and lose weight. However, to achieve success, you need to make physical activity a routine. It’s hard to do it with things you hate. If you love fishing, use this passion to create a healthy habit that will help you to get to your dream weight and then to keep it up.
Fishing Can Help You with Your Self Esteem
If you want to catch a fish or learn new skills, you need patience and a lot of practice. Fishing can help you create achievable goals. When you reach them, your self-esteem can increase. Having healthy self-esteem can reduce your stress and motivate you to do more. When you worry less and believe in yourself, you are less likely to suffer from illnesses connected to stress, including not only mental disorders but also stomach problems, higher heart rate, or even auto-immune illnesses that can easily be triggered by stress. Additionally, when you feel confident, you can see many positive changes in life. It might seem funny to you, but catching a fish can push you to fight more for what you want, for example, asking for a promotion at work.
As you can see, fishing has so many health benefits that there is no doubt it’s worth keeping up. Remember that it can improve both physical and mental health, which is crucial to keeping a happy, balanced, and fulfilling life.
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