A British study suggests that going on a trip contributes to feeling better, but also to being healthier.
Among the good resolutions and goals of the year, some have decided to take up sport. But for others, 2023 will be an opportunity to make travel wishes come true. After several years of restrictions, many countries have reopened their borders to tourists. For personal or professional reasons, many of you will be traveling this year.
Besides, taking a trip can be beneficial to our health. In July 2022, researchers highlighted the benefits of Travel Therapy. If they are not yet prescribed by doctors, these stays are nevertheless beneficial both mentally and physically.
Et a new study led by UCL researchers would confirm this finding. Indeed, they studied the link between good health and being away from home. However, the results suggest that taking a trip, even a short distance, would have health benefits.
A journey that doesn’t have to be long to feel the effects on the body
If the notion of travel evokes the fact of leaving several hundred kilometers from home, the study reveals that this is not necessarily necessary. In fact, the researchers focused their research on traveling more than 25 kilometers from home.
More specifically, the researchers focused on a specific panel of England: people residing in the North of the country. This region is one of the least important in terms of public transport service. It is also one of the regions where people feel less healthy than the rest of the country.
The researchers therefore questioned more than 3,000 residents about their travel habits and their feelings about health. Gold, people without a personal car or no public transport would feel less fit than others.
Transport restrictions and old age, two determining factors
However, the study also reveals that people who even travel a few miles to visit relatives feel healthier. But in addition to the possibilities of movement, other factors affect the panel. This is especially the case with age.
The lead author of the study (Dr Paulo Anciaes) explains that “People over the age of 55 are more likely to face other travel constraints, such as limited mobility. They are also more likely to suffer from loneliness.
Leaving your comfort zone, even by a few kilometres, can therefore have a real impact on the feeling. However, further studies will need to confirm whether traveling far has a real impact on health.