Just what the doctor ordered
SPANISH EXPLORER JUAN PONCE DE LEÓN VISITED FLORIDA IN SEARCH OF THE MYTHICAL
FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH – AND WHILE HE DIDN’T FIND IT, HE WAS ONTO SOMETHING! TRAVEL
AND HEALTHY AGING (AKA KEEPING AS VIBRANT AS POSSIBLE IN BODY AND MIND) ARE,
ACCORDING TO MODERN SCIENCE, CLOSELY ASSOCIATED.
THE PROVEN
BENEFITS OF
TRAVEL
DECREASES STRESS
| Travel decreases the level of
the stress hormone cortisol in
the body. 89% of people feel a
“significant” drop in stress just
one to two days into a holiday.
HEALTHIER HEART
& BRAIN | Travelling
promotes moderate physical
activity, which in turn lowers
your risk of heart attack by
30% to 50%.
BOOSTS THE
IMMUNE SYSTEM
| A UK study showed mice’s
immune systems responded
differently depending on the
environment they were in.
Reportedly, this is because
our bodies are exposed
to new kinds of bacteria
when we’re in new, foreign
environments and produce
antibodies to protect us
from future illness.
KEEPS MEN ALIVE
LONGER | Men who
don’t take an annual holiday
have been shown to have a
20% higher risk of early death.
KEEPS WOMEN
SANE | Women who
travelled at least twice a year
were shown to have increased
brain health and lower rates
of dementia than those who
only got away once every six
to eight years.
$ $
BUYS YOU
HAPPINESS
| A 2014 study by Cornell
University discovered that
travel can buy happiness,
more so than other
purchases. The study found
people get more happiness
from anticipating a travel
experience than from
buying or acquiring a new
possession.
STRENGTHENS
RELATIONSHIPS
(AND HELPS BUILD
NEW ONES) | 84% of
couples who travel together
have better communication
and their relationships
last longer.
BLASTS AWAY THE
BLUES | Women who
don’t travel are reportedly
two times more likely to
suffer from depression.
Sources: Forbes, World Heart Federation, Global Coalition on Aging, US Travel Association, The Guardian, worldtravelguide.net, Global Commission on Aging and America’s Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies
MAKE MEMORIES FOR LIFE // 11