The act of fishing from a lake or stream is renowned for busting stress and encouraging contemplation between those unpredictable bursts of activity when you’ve actually got something on the line. But few people realize just how much it benefits your health.
Exercise
There’s always some physical activity involved, especially for your legs, arms and back. You need to get to where you’re going, and you can choose for it to be a light stroll or a strenuous hiking or kayaking journey. Once there you can sit or stand, switch locations in the eternal search for more bountiful waters, or try more active methods like fly fishing, jigging or kayak fishing.
Lung Health
Indoor air pollution can be a bigger problem than the outdoors, even in larger cities. Breathing in rural areas such as those in and around Prescott can be the elixir for toxins and particles you inhale from indoor ventilation systems because it more fully dilates your lungs, allowing you to expel pollutants more fully.
Vitamin D
All fish contains at least some of this essential vitamin, though the oily fish tend to have much more. But our biggest source of vitamin D is the sun, and anglers get a good dose of it nearly every time they go out. It’s important for our immune systems, strengthens our bones and teeth and supports brain and nervous system health.
Healthier Diet
If you keep your catch, fish is the best animal-based lean protein source you can ask for — virtually all of them contain plenty of nutrients and relatively few calories when healthfully prepared, though oily fish including trout (found in almost all Prescott-area lakes) are richest with those famous omega-3 fatty acids.
Calm and Concentration
Fishing helps alleviate stress and anxiety, especially for those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, by providing relief from the symptoms while sustaining efforts to cope with them.