As if you needed another reason to travel, right? But just in case you’re on the fence about whether or not to splurge on that vacation or long weekend getaway, here ya go:
According to this article in the Los Angeles Times, travel can:
- Lower your blood pressure
- Improve your immune system
- Make you smarter
- Help you live longer
We have some rats in Ohio to thank for this finding. Apparently travel helps you live longer because when done right, travel is FUN. And having fun is one key to longevity (the other is fish…so take a few vacas to Japan and you’ll probably live to be 100). They know this because the rats who had fun (nope, not by going on little rat vacations, but by regularly eating sugar) were less stressed and thus lived longer than those that didn’t.
Travel also helps regulate sleep patterns and lower glucose levels, according to a study conducted in the UK (the participants were human this time around). Tests were conducted before and after people went on vacation and the results found that 17% of participants saw their sleep quality improve and 6% saw a drop in their blood pressure.
Well, there you have it: The secret to eternal youth is spending less time in the office and more time on the road.
[…] the risks are worth it. The health benefits of traveling are numerous. Research has found that traveling helps you live longer, it makes you happier and it makes your kids smarter. Vacations are even good for your marriage. […]