Why Travel is Actually Good for You - Health Benefits and More

Hesitating about whether you should travel? We look into the joys, benefits and positive effects that travel has on our lives, bodies and minds, which will hopefully inspire you to pack your bags and see the world.

So it isn’t big news that there are benefits to travelling. This popular leisure activity does wonders for your wellbeing; it offers endless fun, happiness and memorable experiences and it’s really good for the soul. Travel is beneficial in more ways than we realise, and it’s actually been proven that it makes us healthier in the long run. Below we cover some of the main benefits of travel which you may be aware of already, but we dig deeper into the whys and hows, so you can use them as a good excuse to travel. 

Benefit #1 - It Makes Your Heart Healthier 

When you travel to a new destination, you’re constantly on the go, rushing through the airports, exploring new destinations, walking through streets with a map in your hand and taking hikes - this constant movement and physical activity gets your heart pumping and helps strengthen your heart muscles, and your arteries are also being supported. The Framingham Heart Study investigated the correlation between heart health and travel, and it was proven that those who travel more each year are less likely to develop heart disease or suffer a heart attack. The gist of it is, the more you travel, the less risks there are of you suffering with high blood pressure and cholesterol, and therefore the risk of a heart attack is also reduced. You’d be doing your cardiovascular system a very big favour by travelling. 

Benefit #2 - It Promotes Brain Health

The brain benefits from a new challenge, and when you visit somewhere new you are stimulating your mind completely, exposing it to new things, adapting to new cultures, taking in different surroundings, navigating around, meeting new people, making decisions and having to remember vital information. This is the perfect workout for your brain which helps to improve your cognitive flexibility, memory and concentration skills, and in the long run can help contribute to delay the onset of brain conditions. There’s no better way to keep the mind sharp and promote cognitive stimulation than to travel, and it’s even better if you broaden your horizons and go somewhere new every year, so that your brain can take in new activities and destinations. Challenging your brain like this on a regular basis really contributes in its longevity. Remember this when your patience is thinning after getting lost on holiday countless times…

Benefit #3 - It Boosts Mental Health

We all know that travel makes you happier. But why and how does it affect our mental health? Holidays take you away from your everyday stresses, and our moods are enhanced with the release of more endorphins. But there’s more to it than that. Whilst travelling, we have time to reflect on our thoughts. We are forced to remove ourselves from our usual environment, and this creates a new process of thoughts and beliefs, so we get to see the bigger picture which helps to filter out negative thoughts. We also toughen up mentally when we travel, as we are forced out of our comfort zones and face new challenges. Although not a lot of research has been carried out about the correlation between travel and mental health, many individuals have spoken out about their personal experiences of travel, in that it had significantly reduced their symptoms of depression and anxiety. 

Benefit #4 - You Become Smarter

Travel is a life-changing and educational experience which will teach you a hell of a lot. Not only will you learn about new cultures, you will also learn about the history, traditions, cuisines and languages of your travel destination, stepping your intelligence levels up a notch. And it’s not just informative things that you’ll learn... You’ll discover more about yourself, your daily life and your culture when you have something to compare it to. Travel broadens your reality, helping you understand the world around you. You may not suddenly become a genius when you travel, but you will be forced to learn new things and think in different ways. And get this, it’s been proven that if you regularly engage with new cultures and communities, your professional job opportunities will increase (google it). You’ll definitely develop skills you didn’t even know you had when you travel!

Benefit #5 - It Makes Your Life More Interesting

Getting married or starting a family are undoubtedly at the top of the list when it comes to some of the best memories of our lives, but actually, some of the most fun and cherished memories we have are from holidays and travel experiences. Travel treats you with once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, breath-taking landscapes, people that could change your life and exciting, out-of-the-ordinary activities that you would never otherwise do in your everyday lives - these will be the things you’ll never forget. When you grow older and look back on your life experiences, you’ll realise how lucky you were to see different places and how much more interesting you and your life is because of it. Travelling means you have many great stories to tell and makes a huge impression on other people aswell. 

So if you’re hesitating about the costs of travel and the annoyance of flights, just think how the above benefits absolutely outweigh this. Travel changes you emotionally, psychologically and physically and it keeps you healthy. Talking of healthy, Brightsun Travel has a variety of healthy holidays, including an excellent package to the luxury 5* Amatara wellness resort in Thailand which offers personalised wellness activities, spa treatments, yoga classes and even a traditional Thai Hamman, as well as breath-taking ocean views… Talk about rejuvenating!