Boating - better for you than a walk!

You’ve just got to love it when something you love doing is deemed to be good for you… like drinking wine, eating chocolate and going boating.

How can this be? Well, on the boating front, it’s official. According to a definitive study fresh out of Oxford University, boating offers a bigger boost to your well-being than going for a walk. The finding comes after 20 research papers on health and wellbeing were studied. In fact, the experimental psychologist behind the study says we may well refer to being out on the water as going to “the blue gym”. In short, boating benefits our social, cognitive, emotional and physical well-being.

The smells of nature - in this case the ocean - and being close to water positively impacts both our mental and physical well-being, the study found. Water sounds have been shown to provide an effective foil to the stress-inducing noise of urban activities. Is this because the sounds of waves remind us of the sound we first hear in the womb? Those interviewed for the study suggest this could be so.

"Being by the beach has restorative and sleep-enhancing functions. The human immune system likely also benefits from increased exposure to biodiversity, to microorganisms in bacteria when out in nature.”

These wisdoms, and others, are convincing. We probably didn’t even need convincing, but it’s good to know it’s official. See you at the blue gym.

Looking for the right cover on the water in New Zealand in 2022?

No matter what your plans are on the water in 2022, Mariner Insurance is here to support you. We have been offering Kiwis specialist marine insurance in New Zealand for over a decade with cover for all types of boats and watercraft. Just talk to us about what you’re doing on the water, and we can tailor one of our insurance policies to fit.