Contrary to what many people think – and what quite possibly puts them off – travel doesn’t have to mean reaching the farthest, most remote corners of the earth. It can mean a week in Paris here, a weekend on the Scottish coast there; why, even a holiday to Europe can have its perks, as long as you’re going to be exposing yourself to culture and taking part in plenty of activities.
Put simply, there are no hard and fast rules for travelling ‘the right way’. In fact, the only thing you can be certain about when it comes to travel is that it has a whole bunch of benefits that your body and mind will reap the rewards of in no time at all.
There are countless advantages to travelling, whether for a few days or for months – or even years – on end. For instance, it can be educational to witness other cultures that are different to your own, perhaps giving you a different perspective on life, the world around you, and how you think about things. It can enrich the soul to see sights you’ve never seen before and will likely never see again, committing to memory the views you’ve witnessed, the people you’ve met, and the experiences you’ve gained. It can provide you with valuable life skills you’d be hard-pressed to garner any other way, or might take a lifetime to learn. And so the list goes on and on.
But one of the most important benefits of travelling is that it’s just so good for your health! Here’s why:
Travel Keeps You Active
Whether you’re usually a bustling gym-body or a still couch potato, it’s pretty much impossible to travel and explore an area sitting down. To really get the most out of your trip, however long or short, you’ll need to really get yourself out there and move around. This might mean hiking for weeks in Peru, exploring a remote Canadian town over a matter of a few days, or working in bars to fund your year-long trip through the beauty of Northern Spain. Now, none of these things sound sedentary, do they?
Travel Helps to Beat Stress
There are few things as bad for our physical and mental health as chronic stress, which can help lead our bodies into all kinds of diseases and poor health conditions. Travelling, whether over the short-term or long-term, can provide a welcome break for the trials and tribulations of day-to-day life. Not to mention the rat race! Travel can be a calming influence for some or simply a distraction for others, but either way, it’s been shown to reduce stress levels within a matter of days. And we can’t think of many people who wouldn’t benefit from lower stress levels!
Travel Boosts Your Immune System
When we travel, we take our bodies out of their comfort zone and into the wild unknown of a foreign country. This means introducing ourselves to new germs and, whilst there are just as many bacteria in our home countries, our bodies are used to them. So when we expose ourselves to new bacteria, our bodies need to develop new or stronger antibodies. Our exposure to different places and new bacteria help our bodies strengthen themselves, keeping our guts sturdy and active. Of course, you should still get any required jabs and be sure to practise good hygiene – you’re not invincible, after all! But overall, your body should be all the better for the trip.
Travel Lowers Your Chances of Illness
According to the Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee, travel of the active variety can help to reduce your risk of many major diseases, including some cancers, diabetes, depression, and more. Between staying active and a boosted immune system, this makes perfect sense. And since none of us want any of those things, it seems like a good reason to go travelling – and with plenty of activity involved. So, get yourself walking, hiking, cycling, or whatever else floats your boat. Your body will thank you and you’ll have fun doing it!
Travel Keeps You Young
The more new experiences that our brains undertake, the more active they stay as they face new challenges. And as we get older, this can only be a good thing! Learning and discovering new things, taking part in activities we’ve never done before, and seeing new sights will all help your brain stay active and engaged. Taking on an adventure holiday in your senior years is not something you should shy away from. This is excellent news, as it’s good for its health and can help to delay the ageing process. But science aside, learning about other cultures keeps us up-to-date with what’s going on in the world and having plenty of fun doing so is never going to be bad for our brains, surely!
Guest Blogger
Rebecca Brown, she can be reached at rebecca.dorothy.brown@gmail.com and her website.
