4 ways travel boosts your health and wellbeing, according to experts
Need another excuse to pack your bags and head off to that dream destination? Turns out, traveling the world isn't just fun and exciting. It's also beneficial to your physical, mental, and emotional health. Here are four scientifically proven reasons why it's time to start planning your next getaway.
1. Travel can improve your heart health
A 2019 study published by ScienceDaily found medical proof that vacationing benefits your heart health. The same study also found that participants who took more vacation days experienced fewer metabolic symptoms than those who didn’t. In addition, the risk of heart disease decreased by nearly 25% with each additional vacation taken. In other words, vacations aren't just good for the soul; they're also good for your heart.
2. Travel enhances your creativity
Traveling allows you to view the world from a different perspective. According to this American Psychologist study, exploring the world is strongly linked to fostering the creative expansion of ideas. When you book a trip to a new place, whether a beautiful resort in Fiji or a breathtaking ski lodge in Vail, you're creating a headspace to see the world in a new way. Travel allows your brain to form new pathways and connections that you can bring home and use to improve your everyday life.
3. Travel helps lower stress levels
Of course, we know that traveling isn't always stress-free – flight delays, lost luggage mishaps, and more can happen.
But, research shows that taking time off from your 9 - 5 is essential to reducing stress. But it's also scientifically proven that those stress levels remain low, even after your return flight home. According to research published in the Journal of Happiness Studies, participants who recently came home from a vacation felt rested, less anxious, and in a better mood three days after returning.
4. Trip planning increases happiness
A recent study says simply planning and anticipating your next trip can be almost as enjoyable as going on the trip itself. The study found that 97% of those surveyed reported that having a trip planned makes them happier and that the simple act of booking a trip sparks joy.
Planning a trip also gives you something enjoyable to talk about with your family and friends. Getting others involved in travel planning helps us imagine and anticipate what's to come with excitement and gives us the opportunity to hear different perspectives and experiences that benefit your trip's quality.
If you’re looking for ideas of where to find inspiration for your next getaway, scroll through Instagram hashtags, such as #wanderlustwednesday or #takethescenicroute, to ignite a serious travel bug with endless pictures of epic landscapes spread across the globe. And if you’re looking to chow down while on the road, browse through OpenTable’s guide of must-eats in your destination of choice to find the perfect spots to eat like a local. You can also peruse the world’s happiest places as a potential list of destinations to choose from.
Whatever pre-trip research you choose, the anticipation you gain from knowing what’s to come might be just enough to give you that extra buzz in your day.
So, where to next?
Let these scientifically-backed health benefits of traveling act as your sign it's time to take a trip.
Mentally, physically, and emotionally there's so much you can gain from embracing your inner globetrotter.
Travel is vital to your well-being, and we’re here to power it. Now’s the time for experimentation - start planning that next adventure, book a flight to wherever your heart desires, and soak up those health benefits. And don’t forget to pack Faye Travel Insurance, to give you peace of mind every step of the way.
