Why Travel Makes You Healthy

28 Sep 2018 by Olga Brighton

Travel Information

It’s no secret that travel broadens the mind, but there is a growing mountain of scientific research that shows that travel is also good for your overall health and emotional wellbeing, and wonderful for the soul.

Statistically, those that don’t travel regularly are more likely to suffer from health problems. Travel and health are interdependent things. That’s why more people than ever are booking their travel insurance, packing their bags, and heading out into the big wide world to explore our glorious planet.

Here’s a look at why travelling makes you healthier, happier person:

Travelling is a great stress buster

The stresses and strains of our everyday life often get the better of us. Taking a break from this daily hustle and bustle can be the best way to relieve stress, recharge your batteries and rejuvenate body and mind. What better way to get a quick result than a trip away, where you can relax, unwind, take in the sights, go at your own pace and enjoy the pure majesty of world around you. Traveling promotes happiness and lower cortisol levels, which helps you feel calm and relaxed. Even if you are busy when you travel, the fact that you are somewhere different from the daily hum-drum helps you switch of and get back to a more positive, content outlook.

Travel helps boost confidence

Another great benefit of travelling is the fact that it boosts your confidence and resilience. Whether you choose to travel alone, with family or a friend, your confidence will probably increase as a result. The likelihood is that you will be happy and excited about travelling. This will help you deal positively with the different and new experiences you will face, such as engaging with different people, customs, situations and surroundings. All these new experiences will build resilience and mental strength to handle uncertainty and potential obstacles and promote personal growth. This will help you in everyday life without you even realising it!

Travel promotes happiness and contentment

This may sound blindingly obvious; after all, you’re not at work, have left behind housework and other daily obligations, so what’s not to like? Travelling helps get life back into perspective and helps us re-learn how to enjoy the simple things like sharing a meal or a drink with family and friends. And enjoying the new sights and sounds around you. Your frame of mind will be transported to a much better place, which makes it easier to handle your everyday life with a positive outlook. Travel makes us happy people and happy people have happy lives.

Travel promotes exercise

If you’re stuck in the office or at home going through the same monotonous routine day in and day out, it can be difficult to get enough exercise. The essential benefits of exercise for health and wellness are well known. Regular exercise helps you feel well, strengthens the heart and major organs, boosts stamina, circulation, and fitness in general and can help prevent a wide range of chronic illnesses. Even walking is great. When travelling, you are likely to be out and about more, taking in more fresh air as you explore the sites and new surroundings and perhaps swimming regularly. You could potentially walk for miles in just one day without even noticing and this might encourage you to keep it u when you get home.

Travel helps build immunity

The human immune system is the body’s natural defence against illness and disease. Our immune systems basically help to fight off germs, pathogens, bacteria, and other nastiness that can attack us from the inside and make us sick if we aren’t careful. According to research however, those that don’t travel regularly have far weaker immune systems than those that do. You see, when you travel to a whole new country, your body is exposed to environments it may never have encountered before. The antibodies that make up your immune system subsequently decide that they need to step up their game to help protect you against these new and potentially dangerous bacteria, germs, viruses, and pathogens, and so the immune system becomes stronger and we produce more antibodies. So those that travel regularly will have stronger immune system and reduce their chances of falling ill. Of course, you still need to be wary when travelling and check tap water is safe and practice good hygiene, but the immune system of a seasoned traveller is likely to be far stronger than that of somebody that hasn’t been abroad in decades.

Finally, we know that sometimes travel in itself can be stress-inducing, so to avoid this, be as prepared as possible ahead of time. Buy travel insurance and check the Foreign & Commonwealth (FCO) website for the latest health and safety information on your chosen location.