Health maintenance is important, especially for those of a certain age. You are probably doing everything you can to stay healthy, from those superfood-infused meals to that yoga routine you’ve gotten used to, but you may be overlooking travel.
You might be staring blankly at the screen wondering what travel has to do with your health and that is okay. The following are a few reasons why seeing the world is good for you:
Fight Depression
One major health risk that some seniors have to watch out for is depression. A significant amount of seniors deal with depression for various reasons. There is no doubt that life can hit you like a ton of bricks sometimes, but a healthy person usually just copes with those problems. Making sure that you continue to fight off depression is important and travel helps.
The reason travel can keep your spirits high is because you get to look back on those experiences. People get bored of stuff at some point. Experiences increase your joy because reflecting on your travels ignites feelings of happiness. Your mood should improve by adding more travel experiences to your memory bank.
Get a Brain Boost
Many senior citizens worry about the health of their brains. People of a certain age do have to worry about memory loss and general brain elasticity. Well, those who are concerned about these types of issues should also consider traveling. Studies show that it could actually improve cognitive flexibility amongst many other benefits.
Now, it is important to make sure that you choose culturally rich tours like NZ South Island tours, which should help immerse you into the culture of the region. The researchers found that this activity offers the opportunity to experience a different culture that allows your brain to improve. Pay attention to the sounds, tastes, and the overall culture when you are on tour.
Exposure Creates Stronger Immunity
Getting sick as an elderly person is a different experience than when you were young. This is the reason you want to do your best to take steps that might improve your immune system, which is your primary defense against bacteria. You are probably wondering how all this could be related to travel.
It seems that travel exposes you to dirt, bacteria, and other pathogens that your body has not been exposed to before. This means your immune system is going to create new antibodies when exposed to these pathogens. Think of your immune system as a computer that hits the update button every time it is exposed to new pathogens. This does not mean you must get sick because the body can create these antibodies without going through that, making you much more resistant to illnesses.
Longevity is Possible With Travel
Traveling just a little more relieves stress and also has the ability to increase feelings of excitement. These positive outcomes of traveling also have an effect on your heart since they reduce stress-related hormones like cortisol. This is one reason some people say that traveling improves life expectancy.
Cortisol, especially in high amounts, can lead to blood clots or circulation problems in general. All of this could be detrimental to your health, especially now that you are older. Traveling can reduce the risk of developing these issues, or they can reduce cortisol levels if you are already dealing with elevated stress.
It is easy to see why it is suggested that you consider traveling for the good of your health. Those with young family members may want to pass this information on because there is no better time to start caring for your health than now. Yes, international travel seems to be one of the best options out there, but you can also travel to local cities or towns as long as they are unfamiliar to you. Remember to consider budget airlines that are popping up all over the place to get you where you want to be, and save some cash while you are getting there.
*This article was contributed by Rick Horton, a sporadic blog writer and a reluctant traveler who finally found a reason to fly away.
