Archive for the ‘Travel for Health’ Category

Traveling to Change Your Life for the Better

Monday, October 31st, 2011 by

If you have never before taken the opportunity to travel the globe, you might be surprised to discover what you are missing out on. As we pointed out in the post Take a Vacation! It’s Good for You,  traveling has notable health benefits. Full of intense challenges, eye-opening experiences, and once in a lifetime moments, there is truly no activity on Earth that is quite as unique as traveling. Not only can traveling be a fun and relaxing way to see the world around you, but it can also radically transform your life for the better.

One of the ways in which traveling can impact your life is to improve your overall mental health. Research has shown that keeping your brain stimulated and challenged can help ward off degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s. Travel presents a unique set of obstacles and unexpected situations that tourists must learn to sort out. From learning to overcome the language barriers in foreign countries, to finding your way when lost in an unknown city, traveling helps keep your brain alert and functioning.

In addition to the mental health benefits travel can provide, getting out of your comfort zone will likely expand your global perspective in ways you never before thought possible. Seeing foreign concepts, ideas, cultures, and customs first-hand can seriously impact how you see and interpret the world around you. Furthermore, many travelers report deeper levels of compassion and understanding towards others after spending time traveling, as this unique activity seems to draw many tourists closer to their fellow mankind.

Traveling is also a perfect way to continue learning, no matter what your age! Some tourists choose to spend a few months studying the language of a destination they plan to visit, while others learn the geography of the region where they will be staying. From young kids to grandparents alike, traveling is a perfect way to flex those learning muscles; resulting in greater knowledge and wisdom about the world we call our own.

At the end of the day, most individuals agree that travel is also really fun. Spending all of your time in one place can quickly become rather boring, but travel helps tourists shake off the old and enjoy some time away from the people and places they see every day. Whether you are looking to explore the world around you, discover more about other people and cultures, or help change your overall perspective on life, travel can be a perfect way to improve yourself and have a great time in the process!

Author: Nisha Sharma
Nisha Sharma represents a site called Wish.co.uk. She loves to write, especially about health and travel. Click here to see some great offers.

Photo by SeraTJ

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Take a Vacation! It’s Good for You

Monday, August 30th, 2010 by

A recent article in the Wall Street Journal addressed two studies that show the health benefits of planning and taking a vacation.  According to the studies, wellness factors such as health status, mood, and tension, energy and satisfaction levels all improved before and during vacations.  Unfortunately, these factors all dropped back to their original levels or lower after returning to work.  On the other hand, the studies also showed that increased happiness can come just from the anticipation of having a planned vacation in the future.

Many health benefits from vacation have been shown through studies over time.  According to a past article in the New York Times, the Framingham Heart Study, which was published in 1992, found that women who took a vacation once every six years or less were almost 8 times more likely to have a heart attack or develop heart disease than women who took at least two vacations each year.  Over 9 years, the study also followed 12,000 men who were at risk of heart disease, and the men who went on more frequent vacations lived longer.  The article also stated that even two to three days of vacation can lead to more and better quality sleep.

Taking a vacation, however, means checking out mentally, not just physically.  According to a study done by professors at Tel Aviv University, the benefits of a vacation are not the same for people who are constantly checking their work phone or email.  People who are constantly connected to work while away are more likely to experience burn out.  For your health, put the Blackberry away, pick a destination, and start planning your next vacation!

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