How often do you take your kids to the beach? (Top reasons why you should!)

Summer is fast approaching in the northern hemisphere and everybody is making plans for the holidays. In my country, Romania, the most important question is when are we going to the beach? For families with young children that is a must – and no, it's not only about fun, it's a health issue as time spent in a sea-side resort is most beneficial for the health of the little ones. We even have a term for it – 'cura heliomarina' – literally a cure with sun and sea air. I was most surprised to find out there is no such phrase in English. Well, I shouldn't be surprised – Americans are not known to take their children to the beach every summer. Nor are the British – a recent study I read mentioned half of UK parents have not taken their kids to the beach once in the past 12 month and 10% of millennials have never been to the seaside although they live on an island!

My beautiful @honeydue - a star in the making!

Way back when my first child was just a baby, our doctor told me a week at the beach was essential for my girl's well being, although two weeks would be so much better. I did my best to follow this advice, going to the beach every year for almost two decades now.

What are the benefits of spending your holiday by the beach?
First – there's the sun! Everybody knows exposure to direct sun light helps the body synthesize the much needed D vitamin, which plays an important part in fixating calcium in the organism, especially the bones. A crucial thing for a growing child.
At the same time, vitamin D is a booster for the body's immune system and many health issues can be blamed on the lack of the sunshine vitamin.

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I've seen parents covering their kids in head-to-toe bathing suits, thus preventing the skin being exposed to the beneficial sun rays. Not only on account of nasty sun burns which can ruin a holiday, but mainly because people have been bombarded with warnings about skin cancer. One way of preventing unpleasant side-effects is taking the children to the beach early in the morning and in the afternoon, while spending the hottest part of the day in the shade or resting in the hotel room.
However, the most important part of a beach holiday is the air – rich in iodine and sea-salts. You might get the same amount of sun by the pool, in your city, but not the air.
I must admit I've never been able to wake up early and take the kids for a walk on the beach very early in the morning, but the beauty of it is you can benefit from that air in the evening.
According to experts, take in that rich sea air helps with many respiratory syndromes being highly recommended for children prone to catching a cold.

A healthy tan is proof of a great holiday

For city dwellers, there's the added benefit of being able to walk barefoot on the sand, which is not only relaxing but actually helps developing a straight healthy spine – very important for kids used to sit in a classroom all day and carry around heavy school-bags.

Then there's the sea itself. Sea water is rich with minerals which get absorbed by the skin, promoting overall health and an increased metabolism. There's also the calming effect of the waves, not to mention that they help regulating peripheral blood circulation.
One other major benefit is combating everyday stress. A holiday by the beach is completely different from, say, a trip to a foreign country with a lot of things to do and sights to see. A couple of weeks in a resort is adapting to another way of life, away from rigid schedules, the stressful noise levels in a big city, the traffic. At the beach, there's nothing you need to do – it's just rest, eat and have fun. And, yes, children also suffer from stress, even though they don't know how to complain about it.

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Obviously, the same health benefits apply to grown-ups as well. Actually, adults stand to benefit even more as a holiday by the beach helps with specific age-related issues like high blood-pressure, rheumatic pain, arthritis, atherosclerosis and skin problems.

So, if you're planning your summer holidays, do yourself a favor and squeeze in a few days at the beach, whether you have children or not.

Thanks for reading