Travel May Be Your Best Secret Weapon For Longevity, Science Says

We're all aging, and one day, each of us will be in our golden years if things go well. How we use that time may help us live longer and better, which may very well include travel, according to research. A 2024 study published in the Journal of Travel Research, entitled "The Principle of Entropy Increase: A Novel View of How Tourism Influences Human Health," suggests that being engaged with new people and new experiences, and the physical movement that can go along with travel, may help people maintain a "low-entropy state." Entropy is a term in physics that, put simply, is the movement of matter from a state of order to one of disorder, which can be a metaphor for aging. Basically, traveling to new places, meeting new people, and increased physical movement may help us live longer and feel better.

The lead researcher, Fengli Hu, told Outside, "Many people are looking for a way to keep young and healthy, and travel can be a cost-effective way to improve their physical and mental health and slow down the aging process." You may be confused by the "cost-effective" part of that statement, as travel can be expensive. However, it's not the specific destination that keeps you young but rather engaging in new experiences. That means you could simply be visiting a new town, going to an area of your own city where there may be a language barrier to overcome (meaning you're learning something new), or planning a meaningful staycation to relax and learn more about the place you live.

Aging is going to happen, no matter what, but you can take steps to enjoy each stage of your life. Vacations can help. Besides Fengli Hu's research, there was a 2017 study published in European Geriatric Medicine, called the "Helsinki Businessman Study," that followed a number of businessmen over decades and found that people who had more vacation time tended to live longer. Plus, travel allows you to see things in a different way, move around more as you go from place to place, and experience a sense of awe, the latter of which may help your mental health, according to a 2018 study published in Emotion. Again, it doesn't have to be an expensive trip to Europe. You could take a trip to an art museum right here in the U.S., with grounds to walk through. For instance, the lovely Huntington Botanical Gardens in Los Angeles has beautiful art and gardens to explore.

Vacations, even short or local ones, can reduce your stress levels, which may also boost your longevity. Chronic stress is often associated with health issues, including heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. Additionally, vacations can help you meet new people and form connections, which can also reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. When you travel later in life, you may even be at an advantage you weren't aware of. As people age, they tend to get up earlier in the morning, and being an early riser can improve your travel experience. No matter where you go, it's worth getting out there to shake up your routine, learn about new things, meet new people, and move your body.