If you return from your travels feeling like you really need another holiday … you’re probably doing it wrong! While some aspects of a journey can be a little daunting, the overall encounter has health and wellness benefits that can improve your life long after you get home. Whether you’re travelling for business for leisure, look out for wellness-enhancing activities with long-term effects to ensure you make the most of your experience. In essence – prioritize your physical, mental, and spiritual well-being through travel.
Navigating your way around an unfamiliar destination can get your blood pumping, but this is “good stress” that ultimately makes you feel better. A healthy appetite and falling asleep easier are just two signs that your body and brain are relaxing and feeling better. Your overall mood will improve, and you’ll feel less anxious once you’ve successfully explored your new environment. Based on a True Story operates out of London and creates personal adventures involving epic narratives. Multiple sets, actors and locations are involved in making you the hero of your own story.
Because new experiences increase cognitive flexibility, travel really will make you a better person. As you meet new people and adapt to your surroundings, you’ll also find your creativity, empathy and emotional stability growing too.
Visiting different environments and dealing with small amounts of locally endemic bacteria can strengthen your immune system. Don’t be afraid to drink the same water that the locals do, and eat at well-frequented public food vendors.
Make an effort to take part in immersive or physical activities whenever possible. A hike doesn’t have to mean rocky mountain pathways – you can easily attain your daily step-count goal wandering around city streets or even exploring a shopping mall – especially if you pick up a few souvenirs along the way. With Black Tomato’s Get Lost program you will be dropped off in the middle of nowhere for a survivor-style trip that requires months of advance preparation.
Research shows that all the benefits of travel – reduced stress, higher fitness levels, enhanced brain health – all contribute to a longer life expectancy. And that means more opportunities to travel, so it’s a self-fulfilling chain reaction that will keep you feeling young.
Wellness travel is the fastest growing segment of tourism, with exclusive destinations seeing the most significant growth. High-end hotels and luxury travel brands are beginning to infuse well-being into every aspect of their offerings, from healthier local food options to high-tech rooms with air purifiers and dawn simulators. The ultimate indulgence goes hand in hand with the transformational value of a travel experience, which ultimately leads to contentment and self-realization. The further you travel from home, the more noticeable the benefits: it might be mostly in your head, but the effects are indeed genuine.
One way to make sure your travels are genuinely beneficial for you is to visit a place specifically for its health benefits. Soaking in the mineral-rich waters of a natural hot spring can relieve pain and improve your skin. Spas and yoga retreats in secluded, unspoiled locations are their own reward. Interacting with nature in the ocean or bushveld will awaken all your senses. Visit the turtle-watching reserve in the Tobago Cays for an exceptionally calming experience as you swim with the turtles.
Grab your passport, call your favorite travel agent, and take yourself on a revitalizing journey to wellness. Go now!
