Age with Edge – How Travel Keeps You Young

Could frequent holidays be a prescription for better
all-round health? How exactly does travel help keep you young?

There’s no doubt that travel boosts your body,
brain and mental wellbeing.

All these things help you age better. It’s not just about
your physical health, although obviously that’s important.

It’s also all about having an open attitude to life. That’s
what keeps you curious. And it’s what makes life interesting, whatever stage
you’re at.

“It is not true that people stop pursuing dreams because they grow old, they grow old because they stop pursuing dreams.”

Gabriel Garcia Márquez

Travel keeps your body healthy

You’ll hardly be surprised that travel improves your physical
health. Firstly, when you travel, you often find more opportunities to be
active.

Travel also seems to offer some protection against chronic
diseases. In particular, those diseases that are more common as we age.

For holiday-lovers, there’s good news. The more
often the better!

Science shows that holiday travel could reduce heart attack
risk. In one study [link
1] , women who holidayed infrequently (every six years or less) had a
significantly higher risk of heart attack than women who holidayed at least
twice a year.

It’s a similar story for men.

In another study [link 2], men who didn’t take an annual holiday
had a 20% higher risk of death. They also had a 30% greater risk of death from
heart disease.

Could travel boost your brain health too?

Travel doesn’t just help your body age better.

Holidays keep you on your toes cognitively too. Leisure and
social pursuits like travel have been associated with lower dementia risk.

Should you put down the crossword and pick up a travel brochure instead?

Good news here too. Travel offers a similar boost to brain
function as puzzles or cultural trips to museums.

In fact, it might be even better for you. A study in the
journal of Leisure Studies found that travel had a greater positive effect for
older people than arts and cultural activities.

You can optimise the effect by practising a different
language while you’re away. Maybe pick up the French you learnt at school?

Or try learning a new language at evening classes or with an
online app like Duolingo. https://www.duolingo.com/]

Travel is good for your body (and brain). What
about your spirit?

Both physical health and brain function have an impact on
your mental wellbeing too.

A 2020 National Academy of
Sciences study [link 3] found that
social isolation or loneliness put older adults at higher risk of developing
serious medical conditions.

For older people who are willing and able, travel nurtures
mental wellbeing by reducing those feelings of isolation.

As a traveller, you feel the social perk of meeting new
people, spending quality time with companions, or even throwing yourself into
group activities.

You can also reap the benefits of lower stress
and anxiety.

Most of us feel more relaxed when we travel. But this can
start even before you pick up your passport.

Never underestimate the pleasure potential of anticipating a
trip.

Planning a holiday can lift your spirits. Then once you’re
home, memories of your trip keep you smiling long afterwards too.

If you keep a travel journal or create a photo album, you’ll
also be able to relive the joy with friends and family.

Travel can give your life more purpose

Depending on the type of trip you choose, travel can give
you a sense of purpose. For example, a volunteering holiday is likely to make
you feel a positive sense of belonging.

Not only do you feel the wonder of nature or cultural
heritage in a beautiful new place.

You also appreciate the new people you meet.

Travel opens up your mind to new perspectives

Once you open up to new ideas, activities and people, you
become more curious and engaged with the world outside your hometown.
Especially if you make an effort to look outside typical tourist activities and
actively engage with local people.

Freebird Club travellers can stay
with welcoming local hosts, meaning that both parties get a social lift from
interacting.

You can find new ideas for travel destinations here. [internal link to travel guides on Freebird Club website]

Different cultures broaden your horizons. You might even
feel more creative, or have more ideas. Or simply feel more connected to the
people you come across.

All of this makes you feel more engaged and alive.

A curious thing happens
when you cross geographical borders. Psychologically, your identity gets
refreshed.

When you leave your own country for another, you can feel
like a different person. You get to try on new identities and fresh routines.

Daily
obligations fade away, and you experiment with new ways of passing the time.

That experience with openness and novelty
when you travel makes you a more interesting person to spend time with, even
after you arrive back home.

Can travel really make you a more interesting person?

Sure it
can. Regular travel makes you stand out as a more confident and memorable
person.

Many
older people agree that they’re not ready to slow down. Maybe you’re happy to
rebel against the stereotypes of ageing too?

And why
on earth should you stop having adventures?

Not when travel has such positive effects on your
body, brain and soul.

[external links]

1. http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/content/135/8/854.short
2. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11020089
3. https://nap.nationalacademies.org/resource/25663/Social%20Isolation%20and%20Loneliness%20Report%20Highlights.pdf