We’ll soon be a full week into 2024. Just enough time for us to break any resolutions we may have dared to make as we recovered from the New Year’s Eve we swore we wouldn’t have. But there is a way we can claw onto whatever dignity remains: travel.
Most Aussies have made some sort of 2024 resolution, a recent survey has revealed.
According to a survey by Finder, most of us are promising to be healthier (a vow made on the morning — or afternoon — after a big NYE no doubt). 39% of us are vowing to eat healthier, 36% are planning to improve our fitness regimes, 33% are pledging to lose weight, 19% to lose more.
And next on the list, is travel. According to the survey, 17% of Aussies (that’s one in six) have pledged to travel more in 2024.
But here’s the thing, travel can help with the other resolutions Aussies have set.
Why travel is good for your health
A new, survey-based study conducted by researchers at University College London’s Centre for Transport Studies, revealed that people who travel report better health. This study pointed to the benefits of social connection on both our mental and physical health.
A similar study published in the Wisconsin Medical Journal and conducted over five years found that people who took a holiday twice a year were less likely to feel depressed, tired, or tense, compared to those who only took a holiday once in two years.
Travel is good at relieving stress, Health Digest reported. And it’s not just when we spend time in the sun (which is also healthy — when adequately protected from the sun’s rays). Just getting away from the daily grind is a massive help.
And because many of us aren’t travelling with our cars, we increase our incidental exercise which is good for our bodies and minds.
Travel can even help us generate new brain cells! People who travel frequently are less likely to develop cognitive impairment, according to Michael Merzenich, a neuroscientist referred to as ‘the father of brain plasticity’, Forbes reported.
But most importantly, it can help you live longer. A 2018 study in the Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging reveals that the numerous health benefits associated with taking a holiday can contribute to extending your lifespan. Travel agents: put that on your email signature!
And while you’re at it, agents, here’s a list of resolutions for you to keep too!
