How to Have a Healthy Beach Day with Chronic Illness

As a kid, I spent countless of summer days building sand castles, floating in the sea and being fully immersed in books on the beach. I can still remember the delight of eating salty and crispy French fries in the sand after swimming and playing all day.

Nowadays, I don’t tolerate the heat very well, but still, going to the beach feels like the ultimate summer experience. And there’s some truth in getting your ‘vitamin Sea’.

Science shows that spending time in ‘blue spaces’ (near or in water) lowers your stress levels, reduces anxiety and leaves you feeling restored. Soaking in salt water also works wonders for your skin, fights infections and is therapeutic for your joints and bones. What’s more, the beach offers great opportunities to relax, socialize and move your body in a fun and doable way. And of course, getting your daily dose of fresh air and vitamin D boosts your health too.

But we all know the typical tourist look of people who got a massive sunburn after a day at the beach. Heat stroke is also a real risk when you spend all day under the burning sun. And sadly, when you’re chronically ill, getting to the beach and spending time outdoors can pose all kinds of problems.

Thankfully, with some planning and creativity, you can still make the most of your weekends and vacations. Take a look at 8 tips for a healthy beach day with chronic illness.

This blog post contains some affiliate links to resources I thought you might find helpful, at no extra cost to you. All opinions are my own. 

1. Plan for accessibility

Enjoying a healthy beach day with chronic illness can be a logistical challenge when you have limited mobility, use walking aids or need to stay close to bathroom facilities. But a little planning goes a long way.

• Look up beaches in advance. Some coastal areas have board walk paths or offer beach wheelchairs to access the sand. A beach cart can also be a practical investment if you can’t carry heavy bags. In many European countries, you can also rent beach beds with parasols, often with food, drinks and toilets available.
• Check bathroom facilities before you go. Apps for finding public toilets (like Flush) can help you identify beaches with accessible restrooms nearby.
• Time your visit well. The busiest week of the Summer may not be ideal if you can’t handle crowds and queuing to get drinks and go to the bathroom. You may also consider what time of day works best for you, considering the temperature, crowds and your symptoms.
• Find a comfortable and practical place to set up camp, near facilities, in the shade and/or close to life guards, depending on your needs.

If a traditional beach day isn’t an option for you, having lunch at the beach, visiting lakeshore parks and open-air swimming pools, or strolling waterfront promenades can also offer that ‘vitamin Sea’ feeling, but with better accessibility.

2. Stay hydrated

Holiday brochures may picture tanned people sipping mojitos on their sun bed, but unfortunately, sun and alcohol are a risky cocktail. They both cause dehydration and increase your chances of getting a heatstroke. And of course, drinking near bodies of water could lead to life-threatening accidents.

So swap your alcoholic drinks for refreshing lemonades and festive mocktails. You can also bring flavored water in a fruit infuser water bottle or stay hydrated with homemade iced teas. Coconut water is another great way to replenish the electrolytes you lose when you sweat.

If you have POTS or another form of dysautonomia, electrolyte drinks or sachets can be medically recommended strategies to reduce dizziness and racing heart, especially in the heat. However, this is not a suitable approach for everyone (for example, you want to be cautious of additional salt when you have high blood pressure, kidney disease or heart failure), so always check with your doctor what the right choice is for your condition.

3. Protect your skin

Getting a sunburn seriously hurts your health. How can you enjoy the summer sun and protect your skin?

• Research which sunscreen is best for you. The EWG Guide to Sunscreens lists the best scoring sunscreens for both kids and adults, and provides information about the safest ingredients.
• Apply a royal layer of sunscreen before heading off to the beach (or at least 20 minutes before stepping into the sun). That gives the lotion time to form a uniform coating on your skin.
• Make sure you reapply every two hours and/or after each dip into the ocean, even when the bottle says ‘all-day’ or ‘water-resistant’!
• Consider buying UV-protective swimwear for young kids. The more sunburns you have a child, the higher your risk of developing skin cancer in the damaged area.
• When the sun is at its peak at midday, retreat to the shade or create your own shelter from the sun with a pop up beach tent or portable umbrella. You could also cover up with a SPF 50+ shirt and a hat to protect your skin.
• Sun glasses aren’t just a trendy accessory, you need to protect your eyes from too much UV-radiation too.

Good to know: some medications, including certain antibiotics, anti-inflammatories and chemotherapy drugs, can make your skin burn faster and more severely than usual. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if this applies to you and lean towards SPF 50+, protective clothing and shade to protect your skin, instead of relying solely on sunscreen.

4. Manage the heat

When you spend hours in the burning sun or work out in high temperatures, your body might get overheated. Warning signs of a heat stroke (when your core body temperature reaches 40 C (104 F) or higher) are flushed skin, a throbbing headache, feeling confused or dizzy, shallow breathing an a racing heart. If you notice these symptoms, seek immediate medical help. Untreated heatstroke can lead to serious complications and even death.

Luckily, you can prevent getting a heat stroke during a beach day. First of all, to maintain a normal body temperature, it’s important to prevent sunburn and stay hydrated. Just don’t drink (too much) caffeine and alcohol, because they have a mildly diuretic effect. You should also avoid strenuous activities during the hottest times of day, especially if you aren’t acclimated to the heat. Instead, find ways to cool down, whether it’s splashing in the sea or retreating to the shade.

Be extra cautious for symptoms of overheating when you have a health condition like lupus, MS, fibromyalgia and long COVID, or you take certain medications. If that’s you, consider planning your visit for the morning or late afternoon when temperatures are lower, and build in regular cool-down breaks as a non-negotiable part of your healthy beach day. A portable cooling towel or small battery-powered fan  can also be a real game changer. Finally watch out  for your personal warning signs — which may be subtler than classic heatstroke symptoms! — and don’t push through them.

5. Move your body gently

The beach provides tons of opportunities to gently move your body and have fun at the same time. Just a simple walk on the beach already makes a better workout than strolling along the promenade. Going for a swim can be a good option for people with arthritis, aching knees and lower back pain, because the water takes the pressure off your joints. And what about flying a kite or building sandcastles with the kids?

If you’re able, you can mix things up with a (short) game of  beach tennis, playing frisbee, trying standup paddling or find a quiet spot to do yoga.

But make sure you listen to your body and rest when you need. Pacing your energy wisely means you’ll actually enjoy more of the day.

6. Pack healthy snacks

All that fun in the sun will make you hungry. If you follow a specific diet for health reasons, a little meal prep the night before makes the beach much easier to navigate. So which portable snacks should you pack in your cooler for a healthy beach day?

Fresh fruit and raw vegetables are packed with flavor, sun-protection antioxidants and fluids that help keep you hydrated. Bring slices of watermelon, a fruit salad or a mix of carrots, cucumber sticks and celery with a healthy dip. A handful of this pool snack mix or healthy chips will replace the salts lost with sweating.

For a more hearty bite, savory muffins, wraps and stuffed pita breads make a beach-friendly choice. Of course a simple sandwich works too, if you chose toppings that don’t get soggy or fall out. If you prefer a low-carb lunch, you could pack a salad in a jar or fill a Bento box with cold cuts and crudité.

Bonus: Bringing your own snacks and food also means less queuing for busy beach kiosks when you’re struggling with fatigue, dizziness or shaky legs.

7.  Escape from the world

Is there anything more relaxing than getting lost in stories? Whether you love to read feel-good fiction ortransformative travel stories, a book will take you on an armchair journey even if you’re lying on the beach. You can also go analogue for the day and bring Murdle mystery puzzles or play classic card games with your friends.

But don’t completely forget where you are. Make time to take in the beauty of the beach: the sun on your face, the saltiness in the air, the breeze on your skin, the sand touching your feet and the relaxing sounds of the waves. There’s no better place to practice the art of mindfulness, savor every sensation and soak up the psychological benefits of blue spaces.

8. Natural Wellness

A healthy beach day can easily turn into a natural wellness treatment. Sand, for example, is perfect for exfoliation. Gently rubbing loose sand over your legs removes dead skin cells from your limbs, which gives you a glowing skin.

Swimming in salt water opens up your pores, clearing impurities. Seawater also contains minerals like iodine and magnesium that improve your skin, even when you suffer from eczema or psoriasis. It’s like free thalassotherapy! What’s more, you could give yourself a quick mud mask to get rid off excess oils in your skin.

Just keep in mind: do not swim in natural bodies of water if you have open wounds, skin infections or a compromised immune system.

A beach day with chronic illness may look a little different than you’d like, but with some adjustments, you can hopefully still have a relaxing and fun time by the sea.

What’s your best tip for a healthy beach day? 

For more summer health advice, read Beat the Heat: How to Deal with Tropical Temperatures. If you can’t head to the beach, try Hydrotherapy: How to Experience the Healing Power of Water at Home and 38 Staycation Ideas for a Happy Holiday at Home.