Do Travelers Live Longer?

We know that travelers are happier, but do they outlive their non-traveling counterparts?

Some studies say yes.

According to a report by the U.S. Travel Association, the Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies and the Global Coalition on Aging, Americans aspire to travel as much as possible, and they also benefit their health by traveling.

In Destination Healthy Aging: The Physical, Cognitive and Social Benefits of Travel, the data connecting travel and healthy aging is incredibly powerful.

We say that’s a win/win all around!

Here are some of the findings from the report:

• Older adults who are physically active have lower rates of heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, cancers and diabetes. Their risk of falling is lower and their cognitive function is better.

• Women who took a vacation 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.

• Men who did not take an annual vacation had a 20 percent higher risk of death and a 30 percent greater risk of death from heart disease compared to those who did vacation.

We aren’t surprised. In our recent piece about how traveling makes you happier, we found seven ways that getting away and enjoying a vacation can lead to a fuller life. And it’s not just that you get to see beautiful destinations, but science shows that those in better moods were 35 percent less likely to pass away within the next five years as compared to their pessimistic counterparts.

If that doesn’t inspire you to book your next vacation, we don’t know what will!