Ever since I took my first trip abroad with my buddy Haris Ahmed after we finished our degrees, I have had the travel bug and have since managed to backpack my way through over 50 countries. Throughout my travels I have often heard people say that traveling is good for you and I sort of agreed on the basis that traveling always made me happy.
Recently however I have been looking deeper into this notion that traveling can make you happy and it seems that there is quite a bit of science to back up this claim. I have always said that I think everyone should go traveling at least once in their lifetimes, traveling that is, not a vacation, and it seems that now I have something a little stronger to back this up with. Here then, are some reasons why traveling is good for you.
Stronger Immune System
Because of the fact that when you travel you will be exposing yourself to a wider range of new and interesting bacterias, your body will be able to really ramp up its defences against infections or virus’. Nobody wants to get sick on the road of course but this can invariably happen, the good news is that once you get sick, your body will quickly learn how to fight off the new bacteria and you can count on a stronger immune system in the future.
Meeting New People
When you meet new people from different backgrounds and with different stories, you open up your mind to many new ideas and ways of thinking. For example, meeting someone who is running an online business and traveling could inspire you to do the same, equally, meeting a family who are poor but extremely content with what they have in life can also make you question your motives in life. The range of people that you meet when traveling is complex and it can really help you to open your mind.
Live Longer
A recent study by a tourism board has found that people who travel at least once a year are more likely to live longer than those who do not. this is down to a mixture of the chemicals which are released through the happiness which travellers feel, the additional activity which they are undertaken as well as the benefits of happiness on the body and the mind. If traveling does help you to live longer then I cannot wait for my 145th birthday!
Healthier Body
When you travel, you become naturally more active as you globe-trot an you will find yourself going on tours and experiences which require you to do lots of walking and running, or any other activity which you decide to do in order to maximise your travels. Naturally all of this addition activity helps to keep your body in shape and prevent you from gaining weight or becoming lazy, there are no couch days when you are traveling the world!
