Science has proven traveling as an effective means of improving your health over and over again. The studies keep rolling in and newly proven benefits mean that the list keeps getting longer each year.
Still, most of us keep finding excuses to postpone that trip year after year. Blaming just about everything from your schedule to finances, career demands, family and friends, usually results in staying home. Neglecting to make your holiday a priority are actually counter-productive. While you’ll save a little money on the trip, you will probably perform below your productivity means when you are in a permanent state of exhaustion and in the long term, you’ll achieve and earn less than what you are capable of. The challenges of traveling as a family, especially with small children, are a regularly blamed reason for not taking the trip but research has proven that family retreats facilitates bonding and strengthen relationships. Regular traveling can reduce the chances of divorce and improve the functioning of family units.
The benefits of regular traveling add up and organizing that long overdue trip should be on the top of your to-do list. The benefits extend far beyond the boundaries of health and recreation. Traveling often can also improve your career, education and long-term finances to name just a few. However, your health should be regarded as a top priority. Both physical, cognitive and mental health are improved by traveling.
Physical health benefits of traveling
Traveling facilitates relaxation which offers huge benefits to your body. Lowering stress levels lead to a decreasing risk of heart disease. Exploring your destination usually includes a lot of walking and can improve your overall cardiovascular health and fitness. While enjoying your trip, you’ll be exposed to bacteria and viruses that are unknown to your body. The body’s natural reaction is an increase in antibody production and an overall increase in the immune system. No one likes catching a cold while being on holiday but the combination of lowered stress levels and increased antibodies actually decrease your risk of infection. Science has proved over and over again that frequent travelers have a longer life expectancy than people who stay at home.
Cognitive benefits of traveling
While you think you are relaxing on your trip, a series of changes are taking place in your brain and you’ll enjoy the benefits long after you’ve got back home. Being exposed to a new environment facilitates learning and in the long term, travelers experience lower levels of dementia, increased levels of brain health and functioning and an increase in creativity. Secondary cognitive benefits of traveling include the development of a magnitude of skills. Adaptability, shifting perspectives, and an understanding of diversity, as well as an increase in communication skills, will positively influence your way of thinking for the rest of your life.
Psychological benefits of traveling
Submerging yourself in cultures that are different from your own as well as the relaxational properties of going on holiday, can offer a significant improvement of your mental health. Studies link traveling to lowering depression and improving overall psychological functioning. Frequent traveling with your partner decrease risks divorce and breakups and facilitates bonding. When returning home from a good vacation, you can expect to feel happier and more relax than you were before leaving.
Basically, frequent traveling increases both your life expectancy as well as your quality of life. Secondary benefits improve all areas of life including education, relationships, career skills and productivity. Do you really see a reason to put off that longed-for trip any further? While it is recommended to visit unknown places to increase the cognitive and secondary benefits of traveling, visiting your regular holiday destination will be just as physically and mentally rewarding as traveling to the other side of the world. If you want to maximize the health benefits of traveling, it is suggested to visit an area with different languages and cultures than your own.
You deserve to put your health on the top of your to-do list. Whether you choose to visit one of the best Las Vegas hotels or travel to Thailand is up to you. Science has proven traveling as an effective means of improving your health again and again. When are you going to start investing in your health by traveling more often?
