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Our Trip to the NYC Aquarium

Looking Forward to Trip Day

We are are always looking for different ways to engage our clients in fun and healthy activities. Did you know that besides being tons of fun & educational, visiting aquariums can lower blood pressure, heart rate, and stress

Everyone truly enjoyed their visit to the aquarium. For some of them, it was their first time back in years. Even though Hurricane Sandy destroyed much of the aquarium, we could see how hard the aquarium staff has been working to rebuild and bring back the grandeur that we remember. There was still a ton of fish, seals & other aquatic animals to see.

 

How is looking at fish a Health Benefit?

Researchers from the National Marine Aquarium, Plymouth University, and the University of Exeter analyzed the physical and mental responses of people viewing fish tanks, and the results showed several benefits.

The team noted that viewing aquarium displays led to a clear reduction in both blood pressure and heart rate and that tanks with higher numbers of fish were more successful at holding people’s attention and increasing their mood.

Studies have shown that spending time in “natural” environments is generally soothing to humans, but very little research has been done on the effect of an underwater environment specifically. Deborah Cracknell, PhD student and lead researcher at the National Marine Aquarium, says there is a good reason there are fish tanks at the doctor’s office.

“Fish tanks and displays are often associated with attempts at calming patients in doctors’ surgeries and dental waiting rooms,” she said in a press release. “This study has, for the first time, provided robust evidence that ‘doses’ of exposure to underwater settings could actually have a positive impact on people’s wellbeing.”

The findings may be able to benefit those who don’t have the time, money, or means to reach the real “natural” environments that have calming benefits.

“Our findings have shown improvements for health and wellbeing in highly managed settings, providing an exciting possibility for people who aren’t able to access outdoor natural environments,” said Dr. Matthew White, an environmental psychologist at the University of Exeter. “If we can identify the mechanisms that underpin the benefits we’re seeing, we can effectively bring some of the ‘outside inside’ and improve the wellbeing of people without ready access to nature.”