There is something about being on the water that just feels different.
The sound of waves against the hull. Fresh air. Sunshine reflecting across the lake. A horizon that seems to stretch forever. Phones tend to get put away, conversations last longer, and whatever was stressing you out on land suddenly feels a little farther away.
For those of us fortunate enough to spend time boating on Lake Michigan, we probably don’t need a scientific study to tell us that a day on the water can make us feel better.
But here’s the interesting part: science increasingly backs that feeling up.
Research into nature, outdoor recreation and what researchers call “blue space” — environments featuring lakes, rivers, oceans and other bodies of water — suggests that spending time outdoors and around water can be associated with better mental well-being, increased physical activity and improved overall health.
At B & E Marine in Michigan City, Indiana, we’ve spent more than seven decades helping families get on the water. We have always believed boating is about much more than owning a boat. It’s about the experiences, relationships and lifestyle that come with it.
And it turns out that boating may be pretty good for you, too.
The 120-Minute Nature Number
One of the most interesting studies on outdoor activity involved 19,806 people and examined the relationship between time spent in nature and self-reported health and well-being.
Researchers found that people spending at least 120 minutes per week in nature were significantly more likely to report good health and high well-being than people who reported spending no time in nature.
Even better, it didn’t seem to matter whether those two hours came from one long outing or several shorter visits.
The positive association appeared to peak at approximately 200 to 300 minutes per week.
Think about that in boating terms.
A Saturday afternoon cruise from Michigan City along the Lake Michigan shoreline can easily put you outside for three or four hours. Add another evening cruise, fishing trip or afternoon at the sandbar and you’ve accumulated a considerable amount of outdoor time without ever thinking of it as a health activity.
Sometimes the best exercise and wellness routines don’t feel like routines at all.
There’s Something Special About Water
Researchers have increasingly become interested not just in green space, such as forests and parks, but in blue space.
Blue spaces include:
- Lakes
- Oceans
- Rivers
- Beaches
- Marinas
- Coastal environments
A systematic review of 35 studies found that the balance of available evidence suggested positive associations between greater exposure to outdoor blue spaces and both mental health and well-being and levels of physical activity. Researchers appropriately caution that more work is needed to establish exactly how and why these relationships occur.
More recent research continues to examine the relationship. A 2026 evidence review identified 139 papers studying different types and characteristics of blue spaces in relation to mental health and well-being.
In other words, that peaceful feeling you get looking across a big body of water isn’t an unusual reaction.
There may really be something about blue space.
Lake Michigan May Be Good for the Mind
This gets especially interesting for those of us living around the Great Lakes.
A Michigan State University-led study examined more than 30,000 hospitalizations for anxiety and mood disorders in Michigan and their relationship to freshwater blue space.
Researchers found small protective associations related to proximity to the Great Lakes and the percentage of an area covered by inland lakes, although the study was ecological and does not prove that living near a lake directly causes better mental health.
Still, it’s fascinating research for those of us who call the southern tip of Lake Michigan home.
Maybe staring at Lake Michigan really is good for you.
We certainly aren’t going to argue with it.
Boating Gets You Moving Without Going to the Gym
Boating might look relaxing — and it certainly can be — but spend a full day on a boat and you’ll realize you’re rarely completely inactive.
Consider everything that can happen during a typical boating day:
Loading coolers and equipment, uncovering the boat, handling dock lines, climbing aboard, walking around the boat, anchoring, swimming, paddleboarding, tubing, waterskiing, fishing and eventually cleaning everything up at the end of the day.
It all adds movement to your day.
That’s important because the CDC says even a single session of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity can provide immediate health benefits, including reduced feelings of anxiety, improved sleep quality and lower blood pressure. Regular physical activity provides additional long-term benefits involving cardiovascular health, brain health, bone strength, balance and the risk of several chronic diseases.
You don’t have to turn your boat into a floating gym.
Simply living an active boating lifestyle can encourage you to get outside, get off the couch and move.
Boating Can Help You Disconnect to Reconnect
There may be another health benefit that is harder to measure.
Boating creates separation from everyday life.
Work emails. Traffic. Household projects. Television. Computers. Social media. The seemingly endless list of things demanding our attention.
Then you leave the dock.
Suddenly the priorities become pretty simple.
Where are we going?
Who’s hungry?
Who wants to swim?
Did someone remember the sunscreen?
And, perhaps most importantly:
Did you see that sunset?
Boating gives us an opportunity to be present in a way that can sometimes be difficult on land.
Time With Family and Friends Matters
Some of the greatest benefits of boating aren’t about the boat at all.
They’re about who is sitting next to you.
A boat naturally creates shared experiences. Families eat together. Friends talk. Kids learn to swim, fish, ski and drive a boat. Grandparents tell stories. Everyone watches the same sunset.
And unlike sitting around a television, boating tends to encourage people to actually interact with one another.
Research into structured “blue care” activities has also found evidence suggesting benefits for mental and psychosocial well-being, with some studies reporting increased social connectedness, although researchers describe the evidence as still developing.
That’s another reason we believe boating is such a unique recreational activity.
It combines nature, movement, relaxation and human connection in one experience.
Boating Gives You Something to Look Forward To
There is also something psychologically valuable about anticipation.
Checking Saturday’s Lake Michigan forecast.
Making plans with friends.
Getting the boat ready Friday afternoon.
Planning a trip to New Buffalo, Chicago or a favorite anchorage.
Deciding what goes in the cooler.
Sometimes half the fun of boating is simply looking forward to going boating.
And after a long week at work, knowing your boat is sitting at the dock waiting for you can be a pretty powerful motivator.
You Don’t Need an All-Day Adventure
One of the misconceptions about boating is that every trip needs to become a major production.
It doesn’t.
Sometimes an hour or two is enough.
Leave the dock after work. Cruise Trail Creek out toward Lake Michigan. Run along the shoreline. Shut the engines down for a while. Watch the sunset. Then head home.
Remember that 120-minute nature study?
Two hours outside per week was the point where researchers began seeing significantly higher odds of participants reporting good health and well-being compared with no nature exposure.
That’s one nice evening boat ride.
A Boat Can Become Your Family’s Gateway to the Outdoors
We often talk about boats in terms of horsepower, technology, seating capacity, electronics and performance.
Those things are fun.
But perhaps one of the greatest features on any boat is something you’ll never find on the option sheet:
It gets you outside.
It gets your kids outside.
It gets your friends outside.
It gets you moving.
It gives you a reason to explore.
And it puts you in an environment where slowing down for a few hours suddenly feels completely natural.
Lake Michigan: One Incredible Backyard
Here in Michigan City, we’re fortunate to have one of the greatest recreational resources in America practically outside our front door.
Lake Michigan.
From an evening cruise past the Michigan City Lighthouse to a beach day with family, fishing offshore, watersports with the kids or cruising across the lake toward Chicago, boating provides countless ways to enjoy it.
At B & E Marine, we’ve been helping people experience life on the water since 1953.
We’ve watched generations of families grow up boating. We’ve seen children become parents and eventually bring their own kids back to the marina.
That’s why we believe buying a boat isn’t simply buying another recreational product.
You’re creating opportunities.
Opportunities to get outside.
To move.
To relax.
To laugh.
To explore.
To spend time with people you care about.
And maybe — according to a growing body of research — to become a little healthier along the way.
So the next time someone asks why you spend so much time on your boat, you have a perfectly reasonable answer:
It’s good for your health.
We’ll see you on the water.
B & E Marine has been serving the boating community from Michigan City, Indiana, on the southern tip of Lake Michigan since 1953. We proudly serve boaters throughout Northwest Indiana, Southwest Michigan and the Chicagoland area with new and pre-owned boat sales, marine service, storage, slips, parts, accessories and everything you need to enjoy life on the water.
This article discusses general wellness research and is not intended as medical advice.
