FYI Science Says Travelling Will Help You Live Longer
Rebecca Russo is a freelance writer, editor, community radio dabbler,…
Sometimes you just can’t argue the facts. No joke, SCIENCE has now given you a brand new excuse to take that extra long summer vacation – it’s actually healthier if you do.
Taking regular holidays is directly linked to decreased risks of heart attack and depression, according to a study from – wait for it – the Transamerica Centre for Retirement Studies and the Global Commission on Aging and US Travel Association (isn’t that a mouthful?!).
The study cites Dr Paul Nussbaum, founder of the American Brain Health Centre, who explains that “travel is good medicine because it challenges the brain with new and different experiences and environments, it is an important behaviour that promotes brain health and builds brain resilience across the lifespan”.
So getting lost in a brand new city is helping promote brain health? Can you tell my parents that?
RELATED: SCIENCE SAYS IT’S TOTALLY OK TO SPEND ALL YOUR MONEY ON TRAVEL
Similarly, it turns out moving closer to green spaces improves your mental health and overall wellbeing. According to an 18-year study from the University of Exeter Medical School, when living near a park or greener urban space, people reported greater happiness and significantly higher life satisfaction than those who lived in densely populated areas. City slickers who don’t have access to parks, gardens or other green spaces could be living in a greater sense of mental distress.
If that’s not encouragement enough to get out there and explore our vast backyard in all it’s greener glory, we don’t know what is.
RELATED: IT TURNS OUT TRAVELLING ACTUALLY MAKES YOU BETTER AT YOUR JOB
What are you waiting for? Start planning your next life-affirming adventure with Qantas today.
Rebecca Russo is a freelance writer, editor, community radio dabbler, occasional hiker and autobiography enthusiast. She has written for online publications including Junkee, The Cusp, Fashion Journal and Tone Deaf. Find her online here.