5 Impressive Health Benefits of Travelling

Have you had one of those “I need a holiday” moments recently? Good news. Science agrees!

While many believe that the benefits of travel are short-lived, it turns out that they go way beyond that. And that’s what we’re here to prove today. Did you know that travelling is benefitting your health in these five ways?

Beating your stress and boosting your happiness

The thought of skipping a few days of work and soaking up a view you’ve always dreamt of perfectly backs up our first point: travelling does reduce stress.  It so happens that when you step away from your daily routine, you allow your mind to let go of stressful situations, to recharge and to refresh. In doing so, you’ll feel lighter, more serene and happier due to lower cortisol levels.

The excitement that comes with planning a new trip and of eagerly looking forward to it was also found to be another form of stress reliever and a source of happiness. Indeed, a study found that the anticipation of a trip can boost your happiness significantly, even more than the anticipation of getting something tangible, say a new car.

Keeping you fit

Our lazy side, which we so often embrace back home, has the tendency to wear off when we’re on holiday. Rather, we hesitate little or not at all when an opportunity to be active crops up- walking long distances, hiking through harsh terrains and trying out new adventurous sports. This is because when we’re abroad, we adopt the mindset that we want to make the most out of our holiday. After all, you may not visit that place again any time soon and you have probably paid a fortune to be there!

Decreasing your risk of heart disease

Due to its ability to reduce stress and to keep you active, travel is also scientifically proven to have a positive impact on the risk of heart disease. A research concluded that women who take a holiday at least twice a year had a lower risk of heart disease when compared to those who only travelled every six years or so. In the case of men, those who do not take an annual vacation show a 30% greater chance of heart disease.

Sharpening your brain

Seeking inspiration and need to boost your creativity? Simple. Take a trip, expose yourself to new surroundings and truly engage with the local culture. Your brain will thank you for it. In scientific terms, the reason why travel enhances our creativity relates to how the brain is wired. When we experience new sounds, smells, tastes, sensations and sights, they spark different synapses in the brain and may potentially fortify and revive our brain.

Apart from nurturing our creativity, travel also has the potential to augment our productivity and refine our decision-making skills. Sounds like just the thing you need to improve your performance at work! Did we also mention that those who travel are in greater chance of getting promoted at work too?

On another note, plenty of research has also revealed that regular participation in social and leisure experiences, including travel, is often associated with a lower risk of subsequent dementia.

Making you emotionally resilient

Travelling is exciting yet scary, relaxing yet tiring, fun yet crazy. Especially with long-term travel, you may find yourself or simply witness difficult situations that will make you realise how insignificant your little worries back home are. It is only when you get out there that you get out of your comfort zone, toughen up both mentally and emotionally and ultimately, grow as a person.

By opening up a completely different world to you, travel urges you to rethink your values, challenge your perceptions and perhaps also reinvent your life. Travel has been found particularly effective when it comes to overcoming a painful period of one’s life, as it provides time to reflect and an opportunity for a fresh beginning. Travel really is the best therapy sometimes!

So next time someone says you should travel less, be sure to have this article at hand…along with Travel Insurance from Laferla. Get a free online quote today!