We often overlook fishing as a sport that can also burn calories. Often we think that fishing is just lounging in a boat and waiting for a fish to take the bait, but it is so much more. Who knew that fishing can be rewarding and have significant effects on our overall physical and mental health? Even psychologists, who are specialists in the mental health field. “You can easily see how a pastime like fishing can become much more than a way to relax and unwind at the end of a busy week,” says psychologist Bridget Grenville-Cleave. You can also consult the positive effects of the activity from mental health professionals via online counseling apps like BetterHelp. This article will teach us the benefits we get from fishing and how it affects our mental state.
First, let us talk about the physical effects of fishing:
Head To Toe Workout
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- Who knew casting and serious physical benefits, right? Sometimes, you might also need to climb to get to a higher ground level to get a better fishing spot. The use of your arms and hands lets you have a full arm and shoulders workout.
- With great posture while wading helps with catching the fish but also improves your appearance. There is nothing wrong with a person that has good posture, and fishing will help you practice that more.
- Your core is being tightened too. You will need all the extra effort, especially when you catch a bigger fish, and you don’t even notice that you are tightening the muscles in not just your core but your whole body.
- Your legs are being toned too, for it carries your weight and they are what you use for balance and resistance. All of these are helping you get stronger and toned legs.
Calorie Burning Activity
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- With all the resistance you need to catch fish and the effort it takes to cast and reel your rod will not only tone your body but also burn all those unwanted calories. Even swimming for a bit of time can help you with weight loss or weight management that will surely have significant effects on your physical health.
- This type of activity also provides cardiovascular exercises and help strengthen the eye and hand coordination. It might seem like a low impact activity, but psychologists and doctors around the world are often recommending this.
Now, let us be familiar with the mental benefits of fishing:
Relaxation
- With fishing or just by yourself, you can find that fishing is relaxing. You get to unwind for a bit and enjoy the moment being surrounded by greenery and blue waters. You get to smell the fresh air and even enjoy the cool waters of a lake or ocean. It will help your mind rest and not think about anything else for a while.
Critical Thinking And Creativity
- Fishing is a strategic outdoor activity. You need to be smart and fast. By planning where your fishing spot is and how you will be able to reel in your fish without a problem is a good exercise for your brain too. This way, your critical thinking skills, and creativity will be even brought to work and at home for a creative way of problem-solving. You can learn more about this from YouTube channels that provide new avenues for people to improve their mental health.
Stress Relief
- A recent study shows that people who went to a fishing trip came back home with lower levels of cortisol. Cortisol is a hormone linked to being stressed. A lot of people think that fishing is stressful for you need to look for the perfect location, wait a long time and fight a fish for it to be reeled but it is making your stress go away and help you relax and enjoy the moment. According to ALLAN SCHWARTZ, LCSW, PH.D., “Many of us intuitively know the benefits of flowing water. This is why many people go fishing in local streams and lakes. Many people have told me that, more than catching fish, the benefit they get from fishing is standing in a lake, taking in the sounds of nature and taking in the beauty of the lake and surrounding area.”
Therapeutic Purposes
- Who would’ve thought that fishing has therapeutic benefits? But this has been a type of physiotherapy, especially to people who have gone through some traumatic situations in their lives. Breast cancer survivors, PTSD survivors, and more have been trying fishing as part of their therapy to overcome their mental health issues. Online counseling apps are a great help to get started towards this path.
The best part about fishing is that it is safe and anyone can do it. You can bring your family, friends or even go alone for a fishing trip so that you get to experience the rejuvenating essence of fishing. Even a beginner can do pure fishing, and it will genuinely help a lot. According to Niels Eék, psychologist and co-founder of mental wellbeing and self-development platform Remente, “Several researchers have looked into the health benefits connected to spending time out in nature. One study specifically, which was recently published in BioScience Journal, found that daily exposure to nature can, among other things, help reduce feelings of stress and even improve your self-esteem, for up to seven hours. Reconnecting with nature can also help you become more mindful and present in the moment.”
You won’t even have to be worried where to start for this is one of the world’s most popular recreational activity, and you can find one locally or also internationally if you want to have some adventure. Heal your mind and body by enjoying the outdoors and burning calories at the same time.
Overall experience with excellent benefits is waiting for you. You can search for some more fishing tips and tricks before trying out so that you are sure to bring all the right tools for your trip. There will be other people in the fishing spots so you can practice your social skills too. Have fun and stay happy and healthy with fishing and bring with you home the positivity and lightness you are feeling.