Boating: Relieving the Stress

Anyone who boats knows there’s a certain serenity in idling away from the dock for a day of frolicking on the Lake of the Ozarks. Call it poor man’s mental health, call it paz do mar (peace of the sea) — it’s just plain relaxing.

Whatever it is that we feel in connection with the water, it is soothing for the soul. And, there’s some basis for the emotional lift we get from boating.

A recent survey conducted by Impulse Research Corp. found that boaters are healthier and happier than their non-boating counterparts, according to the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA).

Boaters average more than seven hours per week of active recreation, compared to less than five and a half hours for non-boaters. Non-boaters have been hospitalized slightly more than boat owners (14 percent compared to 11 percent) and tend to be more overweight than their boating counterparts, the NMMA reported.

In addition to physical benefits, when asked about the overall quality of their lives, boat owners rated it about 5 percent better than did non-boat owners. Boat owners expressed greater satisfaction with their accomplishments, relations with their families and their ability to enjoy life. Non-boat owners are more prone to feeling useless, lonely, unhappy or excessively fatigued, according to the study.

Numerous studies have shown that a little bit of boating fun each day can go a long way toward reducing stress. In fact, the NMMA survey of more than 1,000 American households listed boating in the top three of all stress-relieving activities.

“Boating is the most relaxing mental break there is!” says Sherry Jackson, vice president and controller for Glencove Marine at the Lake. “It’s a time to forget your worries, relax in the sun, or take a moonlit ride. Tubing, skiing, or wake boarding are all great ways to stay physically fit. Above all, boating is a time to enjoy your family and it’s definitely a lifestyle guaranteed to keep you healthy.”

At a time when the nuclear family has virtually vanished from the homestead, boating seems to be one way to bridge the gap between parents and their children. Nearly two-thirds of boat owners said owning a boat has brought their families closer.

Most boat owners said the benefits of owning a boat include being outdoors (89 percent), spending time on the water (85 percent), being able to unwind and leave pressures behind (79 percent) and finding tranquility (71 percent).

According to the British website www.ecotraveling.co.uk, there are few other means of recreation that put you quite so directly in touch with the environment. This form of transportation is relatively unhurried and generally free of congestion, which inevitably means that you have plenty of time and opportunity to take in the things around you – something that few people get the routine chance to do.

Everyone has a little stress in their life and can use some stress relief and relaxation. Therapists and meditation experts have long known that the soothing sounds of flowing water can bring stress relief and relaxation to one’s environment. Typically, water fountains are suggested as a means of producing those tranquil sounds. It seems only logical that boating can produce the same results, with the sounds of water lapping against the hull coupled with the scenery the Lake of the Ozarks.

The camaraderie that boating evokes is also mentally healthy. “Speaking as a boater, and not as salesman, I can tell you that boating is the most relaxing hobby my family and I have,” Kelly’s Port salesman Mark Bowman said. “We can’t wait to hit the water for a day of fun and sun. You meet the greatest people on the water and everyone you come in contact with is just as relaxed. I can’t think of any other sport where the entire family is involved. It takes few skills and, unlike golfing, hunting, fishing, etc., everyone can participate and can bring friends to boot.”

Part of being healthy is being physically fit. Typically, operating a powerboat does not require or involve much physical activity.

Water sports such as skiing, tubing, wakeboarding, etc., does require a certain amount of physical health. And anyone who sails knows there is some physical activity involved there as well. “We’d argue that simply breathing in the brisk wind coming off the water in itself can go a long ways towards strengthening one’s constitution,” noted Collin Heimensen, MarineMax Lake of the Ozarks brokerage manager. “Not to mention the additional physical and psychological benefits in terms of relaxation and stress relief.”

As boating.com points out, recreational boating is quality time spent away from the television set and the video games, creating an atmosphere that brings people together and creates fond memories to last a lifetime.

Recreational boating offers lots of opportunities for personal growth. Whether you’re instilling your child with extra confidence as they learn how to properly secure a line, or you’re enjoying the delicate taste of fresh fish that you caught yourself, boating recreation provides many different rewards for all ages.

Tags: boating, family, Lake of the Ozark's, recreation, stress relief, tubing

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