Many people travel for the enjoyment of new experiences or love of a familiar holiday location, but the health benefits are less widely discussed.
Healthy habits are crucial to maintaining your well-being – eating the right foods, drinking enough water, and getting enough quality sleep are some of the fundamentals.
Should traveling be considered for that list? In this article, we explore some of the reasons why travel can be good for your health.
Alleviate stress
Taking time away from the strains of daily life can help to alleviate stress. Prolonged periods of stress often contribute to poor mental health, increasing the chances of anxiety and depression.
Studies show that those who travel regularly are happier and less stressed than those who don’t.
Spending time in a different location may help to separate your mind from any troubles in your personal or work life.
A step back from issues encourages new perspectives which helps to ease stress and its related symptoms. Some sunshine and vitamin D can have a massive impact too.
Also, traveling brings the perfect opportunity to spend time doing other calming activities such as walking on the beach, getting a relaxing massage, or practicing some yoga.
These activities can also reduce cortisol levels and provide us with a sense of peace.
Improve fitness
Most holidays involve increased physical activity in comparison to your usual routine. Sightseeing, walking, and swimming can all help to improve your fitness levels, even if you don’t feel like you’re exerting yourself.
Active holidays are growing in popularity and represent a whole new segment of the travel industry.
Cycling tours are a fantastic way to explore new locations and stay active if you enjoy life on two wheels.
Similarly, hiking holidays can be a gentler way to explore locations a little more slowly. Both of these activities can improve muscle strength and cardiovascular health.
Some people choose to engage in more extreme types of activities during their travels, such as surfing, skiing, or scuba diving.
These more intense activities can further improve the physical condition of the traveler.
Refresh and recharge
Everyone needs time to recharge, particularly after an intense spell at work. Travel is the perfect opportunity to distance yourself from your usual routines and focus on something completely different for a while.
Professional life can often lead to burnout and taking a break is one of the best ways to refresh and recharge.
After a trip, you should feel more energized and motivated to dive back into your duties. Even if you’re only looking forward to your next trip – at least you have something to work towards!
In addition, traveling implies being continuously exposed to new environments, cultures, and ways of life.
This exposure to the unknown stimulates people’s brains and promotes flexibility and creativity. This mental stimulation can help prevent age-related cognitive decline and help maintain optimal brain health.
Connect with the world
Humans are social creatures and a sense of connection to others is a fundamental need just like food, water, and shelter.
Travel is a fantastic way to meet new people and immerse yourself in different cultures. Interacting with people from different cultures can broaden one’s perspective and promote empathy – this can help you engage with the world on a deeper level and feel more connected.
In turn, having deep and strong social connections has been shown to have very positive effects on people’s health, including increased life expectancy and a much lower rate of chronic disease.
If you haven’t traveled recently, why not get something in the diary? It may just be the thing you need to boost your health and wellbeing.
Jean Smith is a fitness enthusiast and blogger who focuses on fitness and a healthy lifestyle. She is passionate about assisting people in living healthier lifestyles and is constantly on the lookout for new and creative methods to stay fit and healthy. Her articles are excellent resources for anyone interested in improving their health and fitness.