Believe it or not, going fishing has many benefits for your physical and mental health. Besides being a great way to unwind, fishing reduces stress and puts food on the table.
So, why is fishing well for you? Fishing offers many health benefits. Fishing is an excellent low-impact cardio exercise that engages the legs, core, arms, shoulders, and back working many muscles in the body and improving your balance. Fishing is also good for you because it reduces stress and anxiety and fights off depression.
Spending a day fishing is good for adults and children. Keep reading to learn why fishing is good for you and your health.
Why is Fishing a Good Hobby?
Fishing is one of the greatest hobbies because everyone can fish and enjoy it regardless of age.
In ancient times, fishing was primarily a means of survival and putting food on the table, but nowadays is so much more. It’s true that some anglers still fish for food, but for most, fishing is a sport or a way of life.
Another great thing about fishing is that it’s exciting. The thrill of preparing for a fishing trip, the calm and quietness during fishing, and the joy of catching a fish never disappear. This makes fishing a good hobby for people of all ages, including children.
What are the Benefits of Fishing?
Fishing is a popular pastime for people around the world. Nothing can compare to spending a day out on the water with your friends or family, casting a line, and breathing clean, oxygen-filled air.
Even if you don’t catch any fish and go home empty-handed, there are many reasons why fishing is good for your health. Here are some ways angling can improve your overall health and well-being.
Benefits to Mental Health
Besides being an excellent low-impact exercise, angling is also beneficial for your mental health. Whether you have trouble concentrating or suffer from depression, a few hours of fishing can significantly improve your mental health.
When fishing, you are surrounded by nature, which is associated with good health and well-being. Furthermore, you are also spending time near the water, which has a meditative effect on the mind and produces negative ions that act as mood boosters.
The actual act of angling also has many benefits for mental health. Casting a line and reeling a fish requires a lot of focus and awareness, taking your mind off internal conflict. The result is that fishing helps reduce stress, and anxiety fights off depression, and promotes tranquility.
Recent studies have shown that angling lowers cortisol levels, which is the body’s main stress hormone. Fishing therapy is used to help people suffering from trauma or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In these cases, fishing can provide short-term and long-term relief lasting as long as three weeks after a fishing trip.
Because fishing is never an exact science, it helps build your analytical and problem-solving skills. Searching for new fishing spots, changing up the bait, or dealing with fishing reel issues might seem like easy problems. However, these challenges support and improve your creative thinking and cognitive function.
Benefits to Physical Health
While fishing might seem easy, it’s an excellent low-impact cardio workout that targets your entire body. Walking to a fishing spot, wading through streams, and reeling in fish all count as cardiovascular activity that improves overall health.
Fishing works different muscles in your body, including arms, shoulders, back, core, and legs improving your balance. Angling and reeling in fish also get your heart rate up and help you burn up to 200 calories per hour.
The beauty of fishing is that you can build up your fitness level without stepping into a gym or doing any intense exercise.
If you just started fishing, head out to your local pond and attempt to reel in a few fish. You can try more challenging fishing techniques like fly fishing or jigging as you get the hang of casting a line and reeling in fish.
Hike out to a remote fishing location or get into a kayak for a full-body workout as you build your endurance and strength. Paddling and balancing on a kayak is excellent for your balance and core strength, even when you aren’t battling a fish and reeling it in.
Being around water won’t only improve your mood, but also boost your immune system, regulate sleep patterns, and increase metabolism. Fishing allows you to soak in the sunshine. Vitamin D from the sun speeds up healing, strengthens your immune system, and helps prevent illnesses.
Another important health benefit of fishing is the fish itself. Fish is full of essential nutrients, and eating the catch is good for your health. Fish is high in omega-3 fatty acids, which lowers blood pressure and the risk of stroke.
Eating fish is also a great way to get vitamin B12, essential for healthy blood cells and nerves. While not all fish species are equal, they are all a great source of protein, and good cholesterol and are relatively low in calories.
Benefits of Fishing for Children
Not only is fishing beneficial for adults, but it’s beneficial for children too. As long as a child can hold a fishing rod, it’s not too early to start taking out youngsters on fishing trips.
Chances are that your child won’t catch any fish at first. Fishing takes patience and teaches children restraint while waiting for a fish to bite and staying calm when they lose a fish off the hook.
The act of fishing is good for children in many different ways, as is being outside. Being outdoors near water can reduce symptoms of ADHD in children.
Angling requires a lot of skill and nimbleness. Fishing lines are thin and can easily become tangled, and attaching worms to hooks requires a lot of concentration and dexterity.
These simple and small tasks help children develop fine motor skills. Learning a skill and trying something new is great for developing cognitive function.
In a digital age, children are spending more time in front of screens and on their phones than outdoors. Going fishing gets children off their phones and helps them appreciate everything the great outdoors offers.
Is Fishing an Expensive Hobby?
Fishing can be a costly hobby. But if you know how to strike a balance and choose affordable equipment, you don’t have to break the bank.
Like with all other hobbies, you’ll need to spend some money to start fishing. You can spend a fortune on expensive fishing gear like a boat, luxury fishing rods, and other costly accessories. However, you don’t have to spend much to get started.
Instead of spending thousands of dollars on a fishing boat, or the most expensive fishing rods and reels, you can buy good-quality fishing gear for much less.
Before you spend any money on fishing gear, you’ll have to buy a fishing license. The cost of a fishing license varies and depends on many factors, including your age, the state you want to fish in, the type of fish you want to catch, etc.
When it comes to fishing gear, you’ll need a fishing rod and reel, fishing line, hooks, and fishing lures. With around $200, you can purchase these items and head out to the water to catch some fish.
At the end of the day, you don’t need to spend a fortune to have a fun and relaxing day on the water.
How Much Does Beginner Fishing Gear Cost?
Fishing can become an expensive activity. However, to begin fishing, you only need a good fishing rod, reel, bait, line, and a fishing license which aren’t very expensive.
Basic fishing equipment costs around $100 to $200, whereas high-quality gear for experienced anglers can cost several thousand dollars.
A good quality fishing pole, on average, costs from $20 to $40. If you want a higher-quality model that will outlast the cheap rod, expect to spend at least $60. While most fishing rods come with a reel, you can get one separately for around $50 or more.
The exact cost of fishing lines, hooks, baits, and sinkers will depend on the type of fish you want to catch. However, all of these items aren’t expensive, and it’s unlikely that you’ll spend a lot of money on any of them.
Conclusion
Fishing is an extremely popular activity that offers many health benefits to adults and children. While it might seem easy, fishing is a great low-impact cardio exercise that engages muscles in your entire body. Casting a line will engage your shoulders, legs, arms, and core and, at the same time, improve your balance.
Besides being a great workout, fishing is also beneficial for mental health. Being outdoors near the water lowers cortisol levels, improves mood, reduces depression, and helps people with post-traumatic stress disorder.