Can Travel Benefit Your Health Part 2
A short vacation – say a long weekend – can benefit most people. Blood pressure levels decline, heart rate goes down, and the stress hormone epinephrine lowers as a result. Travelers report that they sleep better and more deeply after a vacation.
Mental health is also improved when workers take vacations. Workers come back from vacation with less anxiety, less anger, and a refreshed outlook on life in general. Women often feel closer to their spouses and children after traveling for a few weeks.
Travelers can improve the benefits of vacation time by including physical activity as part of their away time. Golf, walking, hiking, skiing, and other outdoor activities improve the mental and physical health of the traveler.
It’s also important to eat well and often (but not too often) while on holiday. Enjoy the local cuisine and relax.
Trips can stimulate the mind while relaxing the body. Consider vacationing in one spot for two weeks rather than taking a whirlwind tour of 26 cities in 12 days. Soak up some local culture and look at the world through different eyes. Take a walk through an art gallery or history museum and learn a few things. You will come back refreshed, invigorated, and in better health.
