Check out some of the biggest travel benefits that COULD make you younger!
Traveling has already been linked to many positive health impacts, including lowered stress levels. But new studies have found that travel may even keep you young. It seems a bit random if you think about it.
But the study found that particular aspects of travel, like getting better sleep, making new social connections, and having new experiences, could help lower your risk of premature aging.
So, how does it all work? Well, continue reading to find out what the study found about travel benefits, plus what other scientists think about this entire thing.
Travel can make you not just happier but more successful, too!
If it does hold up, it won’t be the first time scientists have discovered travel benefits beyond just broader horizons and having fun.
Career experts have long noticed that extensive travel stimulates certain skills and mindsets that can significantly boost your professional success.
As a professor at the European business school has explained, seasoned travelers tend to be more comfortable with change, agile, more creative, and open to growing and reinventing themselves.
These skills are both in high demand valuable to entrepreneurs and by employers. On a more personal note, intriguing new research also indicates that roaming widely and visiting new locations makes people happier.
Recent research out of NYU showed that the more unknown experiences you have on a given day, the happier you’re more likely to be the next. A different 2020 study found a correlation between how widely people wandered and how optimistic they felt.
A new travel benefit: Slower aging?
A study performed by an interdisciplinary team out of Edith Cowan University built on prior research into healthy aging.
Many of the activities that experts recommend to keep us feeling younger in mind and body: things like spending time in nature, social connection, and lifelong learning, are an inherent part of travel, the team reported.
So, does that mean that a travel benefit is that it can technically also help slow down the aging process? Well… YES, indicate the scientists in the study recently published in the Journal of Travel Research.
Environments, stunning landscapes like beaches and forests, can help us reduce stress, boost our mental health, and promote physical activity, the study’s principal researcher explained to The Washington Post.
Exposure to other locals, tourists, or wildlife can improve our cognitive function and overall mood. This is a unique area of research. The intersection of health and tourism is a very new and promising area. Yet, these earlier findings match up well with previous studies.
For example, recent psychological research demonstrated that learning something new can cause your brain to work like it’s a whopping 30 years younger.
A group of Canadian neuroscientists disclosed that moderate amounts of light exercise improved cognitive function in aging adults as if they were five years younger.
Other researchers at Yale found that simply having a positive attitude toward staying active and aging can help people live up to 7 and a half years longer on average.
Looking at all of this research, it appears promising that positive travel experiences will slow aging. The researchers caution travelers to avoid health hazards like dangerous animal encounters and infectious diseases while on the road, though!
Exotic globe-trotting isn’t required
The conclusion of travel benefits for entrepreneurs is evident here. Besides all the added benefits, more travel is likely to help you slow down the aging process a little bit more, and it’ll be a career and happiness booster in the short term.
And those who don’t have the time or resources for international jet-setting shouldn’t be discouraged.
Travel writers and other professional explorers say that getting all the life-affirming, possibly-expanding benefits of travel with relatively modest adventures and getaways closer to home is possible as well.
The impact of a trip is all about how you approach the adventure, not the location of where you go.
Is there a RIGHT way to travel for a longer life?
As we’ve mentioned, this is a relatively new concept, and it’s difficult to say for sure that traveling can slow down the aging process. But, given that travel is fun and most people love it, it can’t hurt, right? Experts also say that there’s no “right” way to travel.
The best way to travel really depends on each individual’s needs and situation. An annual vacation could be beneficial, but for some, more routine travel or frequent short getaways may provide even more significant benefits. It doesn’t have to be an international trip, either.
Local travel or weekend escapes can work just as well, too. So, try to get out there a little more. It could help keep you young… Or at the very least, you’ll have a good time!
Other travel benefits you should know about:
Travel benefit: So many food options
When you travel to all sorts of places, you get the added travel benefit of tasting a variety of foods from different regions of the world. You get to explore fresh tastes, methods, ingredients, and meals that may not be familiar where you’re from.
For instance, if you take a trip to Iceland, you can take a street tour, savoring various freshly prepared snacks, dishes, and drinks from vendors.
You can also try local dishes and beverages crafted with regional ingredients and methods. So, all in all, trying different food options on your next adventure will undoubtedly be worthwhile.
Travel benefit: Get an understanding of new lifestyles
One of the biggest travel benefits is that you get to meet people with different lifestyles and cultures when you go to new places.
As you live among these individuals, gaining insights into their way of life and understanding them better becomes a critical part of making the most of your journey.
In this learning process, you’ll discover different and new things. For example, in Japan, you might learn that wearing shoes inside is considered disrespectful, even if it’s normal for you.
Often times, learning new things that are outside our comfort zones can be quite an experience. We must say, it leaves a tremendous and lasting impact on our lives.
Travel benefit: New opportunities
The saying is that a clear mind brings more brightness to your life. Yet, if you stick to the same old routine for years and years without ever traveling anywhere, you may end up struggling to come up with new ideas or acquire a fresh perspective on the world around you.
Traveling can enable you to discover your life’s purpose by exposing you to new opportunities and possibilities.
It’ll lead you to find a new career, passion, or direction that resonates with your goals and values. Also, it can inspire you to contribute positively to the world by linking you to something bigger than yourself.
Travel benefit: It helps with socializing skills
Traveling is the perfect way to go if you love meeting new people. When you explore a new spot, you’ll likely enjoy amusement parks, go to clubs or parties, and visit some planned destinations.
You meet new people in these places and establish amazing connections with them. Occasionally, unexpected situations can lead to new friendships.
So what are you waiting for? Pack up some sunscreen and comfy shoes and hit the road!
Do you agree with all these travel benefits? Let us now in the comments below. But don’t leave yet! If you liked this article, we highly recommend you also check out: Memory Study: Our Mind Can Help Us Learn New Things, According to Snails
