Our “health insurance” kicks in again next month when we
leave for another three months in Italy. I can say this because a recent study
has linked travel to good health and long life. The Global Commission on Aging released
a meta-analysis of existing academic and social research this month that links
travel–and the activities associated with travel–with “positive health
outcomes, including decreased risk of heart attack and depression and even the
promotion of brain health.”
“Travel is good medicine,” explained Dr. Paul Nussbaum,
president and founder of the Brain Health Center, Inc., and a clinical
neuropsychologist and adjunct professor of neurological surgery at the
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. “Because it challenges the brain
with new and different experiences and environments, it is an important
behavior that promotes brain health and builds brain resilience across the
lifespan.”
The report says that people who travel are significantly
more satisfied in mood and outlook compared to those who do not travel (86
percent compared to 75 percent). Further, 77 percent of Americans who travel
report satisfaction with their physical health and well-being while only 61
percent of those who do not travel say the same. This is supported by the fact
that nearly two-thirds (63 percent) of survey respondents report walking more
on trips and getting more exercise than they do at home.
One study found that women who vacationed every six years or
less had a significantly higher risk of developing a heart attack or coronary
death compared to women who vacationed at least twice a year. Another study showed that men who did not take an annual
vacation had a 20 percent higher risk of death and 30 percent greater risk of death
from heart disease.
 |
| Just following my self-prescribed healthcare plan in Sardegna in 2012. |
Benefits are almost immediate. After only a day or two, 89
percent of respondents saw significant drops in stress. Cognitive benefits are
also cited: The novel and complex stimuli associated with travel, including
navigating new places, meeting new people and learning about new cultures, can
help delay the onset of degenerative disease.
“The phenomenon of longer lives applies to millennials as
much as it does to baby boomers, and it requires us to think, plan and act
differently,” said Michael W. Hodin, Ph.D., executive director of GCOA. “We are
beginning to see this powerful relationship between travel and healthy aging,
which should motivate us all to begin saving for it now.
“It is intuitive that if we stay healthy we will be able to
travel in old age, but it is now becoming apparent the reverse might also be true:
Travel and the numerous physical and mental benefits associated with it are
drivers of health across all stages of life. Investing in travel could also be
a worthwhile investment in healthy aging.”
I’m convinced! Hmm, now if I can just use this data to convince
the IRS that our entire trip should be tax deductible under the category of
health insurance.
