Do you try to live a healthy life? If so, good for you. There’s heaps of benefits to staying fit and healthy, the very least of which is longevity. You have more energy, motivation and determination when you’re watching your waist, staying hydrated and exercise regularly. You get more out of life because you’re putting in more, and often you find you’ll have more social interaction because you’re just plain feeling great.

There are some things in life that have unexpected benefits for your health. Gardening is one, seeing live music or dancing is another, and swinging in a hammock is one more. No, you didn’t read that wrong. Let’s take a look at some of the surprising health benefits of hammocks.

Stress Less, Man

Modern life has so many stressors. Chilling out in some hammocks is a great way to relax and forget about all those things causing you stress. Work, mortgages, rent, study, bills, disputes, complaints, technology. All these things melt away into a distant concern when you’re swinging in a hammock, reading a book, listening to music or just hearing the birds tweet and sing. Even if it gives you a break from busy life for half an hour or an hour, that’s still time spent not stressing, and that’s great for your health.

Acid Reflux and Indigestion

Do you suffer from reflux, heartburn, indigestion or other gastrointestinal concerns? Believe or not, some time spent in a hammock can really help you. This is because resting with your upper body slightly elevated can reduce the amount of stomach acid your body produces, lowering your chances of developing reflux, or reducing the symptoms if you’re already suffering. Of course, always consult a medical professional if your problems don’t go away.

Improved Focus and Performance at Work

Did you know that short naps have a proven impact on alertness and performance? If you have a hammock at work or you work from home then popping into one for a short bit of shut eye can actually improve how you work. While your boss may take some convincing of this, the increase in performance after a brief kip should speak for itself. So have a swing, then close that deal or net that big client and thank the hammock.

Benefits for People with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Special schools and treatment centres have long used swings for what is called “sensory integration”. Hammocks can help people on the autism spectrum to integrate their sensory inputs and achieve normal developmental milestones, allowing them to progress further in life.

Good for Back Pain

Around eighty percent of adults experience back pain at some stage of their life. So, chances are if you’re reading this you have some level of back discomfort, or have had it at some point in your life. By becoming weightless in a hammock and gently swinging from side to side your back has a chance to rest and recovery from injury. Of course, couple this with proper treatment from a physiotherapist or osteopath and medication. Exercise can also work wonders when it comes to recovering from a back injury.

A Comfortable Conclusion

Hammocks are great to relax in and can help relieve some of the stress of modern life. They can aid with acid reflux and heartburn and other digestion problems, and can give you improved focus and performance at work. There are benefits for people with autism spectrum disorder, and they can also reduce back pain. So, what are you waiting for? Jump in a hammock today and start relaxing.