An Enjoyable Way to Live Longer: The Health Benefits of Taking Vacations

By: Debbie Turner


Taking regular vacations can make your life healthier and longer.

Close your eyes for a minute and image soft breezes brushing your cheeks and the only music you can hear is the sound of the ocean’s wave crushing on the shore. How about waking up in a comfortable hotel suite with your breakfast already prepared on your bedside table? Maybe you simply stay at home but you get up when you’re done sleeping and going to bed when you’re tired. You find yourself revisiting your hobbies, taking time to read that book you’ve putting off and just relaxing in your casual, around the house lounging clothes. Sounds like great vacation ideas? But are you aware that these great ways to chill out could not be enjoyable but also health promoting?

Stresses are threats to people’s health that affect the function of the immune system, cardiovascular health, emotional well being and overall quality of life.
Studies have shown vacations can be the ultimate tool to reduce the pressures of everyday life and eliminate stress. It’s been proven that taking vacations could save our lives and brings balance to its personal and financial aspects.

There are evidences that vacations could reduce the chances of heart disease and improve overall health. According to experts taking a vacation can reduce the risk of dying from coronary heart disease and can help both men and women, live longer and healthier lives.

Based on studies taken, people who take their health seriously should also learn to take vacation time seriously. They should build it into their health regime. Throughout the years of studies, vacations have been proven to delay death for both men and women. Lack of vacation was also discovered to contribute higher chances of heart disease. It was also found out that vacations have restorative effects that can lessen stress and prevent burnout. There are also fewer rates of dying from coronary heart disease to both men and women that occasionally take time off.

In a study conducted by researchers from the State University of New York in Orsweg on 12,338 middle aged men who were at risk of heart disease, it was found out that those who did not take regular vacations were more likely to die over a 9 year period than those who did. According to researcher Elaine Eaker, middle-aged women who do not usually take vacations have eight times the risk of either having a heart attack or dying of heart disease. She added that the social and psychological aspects of people’s lives are directly related to their physical health.

Everyone can benefit from the positive impact of vacations on health. In a study conducted by the Families and Work Institute in New York, it was discovered that 55 % of workers who didn’t take all their vacation time experienced high levels of feeling overworked. This shows that workers who take vacations frequently are less likely to develop serious heart problems in the future.

A vacation could lead to limitless possibilities of fun and physical activity. Involving yourself in sports like skiing, windsurfing, or scuba diving, although it might be tiring, offer many healthy benefits. The important thing in having vacations, regardless how active or inactive it may be, is the state of the mind and body. The mind should be at rest and body should be stress-free. The first step to prevent burnout is to take a leave and break your routine once in a while.

By simply planning a vacation, your emotional and psychological aspect is improved. The excitement that it brings stimulates the imagination, and allows you have something to look forward to. It’s your chance to remove your work hat to play, learn, explore and discover. Vacations are one way to have bonding and quality time with family, friends, and loved ones. Vacations also enable you to discover new places which awakens your appreciation of things and people that are usually taken for granted. This makes your return to home more inviting. Good trips many only last a week, but the memories, personal and health benefits that you gain from it have the possibility to last a lifetime.

Vacations could also be a way for self-discovery. It can help you get back to feeling your best. It promotes creativity that can help you reconnect with your self. It also averts fatigue. Workers taking regular time to relax are less likely to experience fatigue from work, making them more creative and productive than their overworked, under-rested counterparts. Taking regular breaks to ‘recharge your batteries’, keeps your stress levels lower, thus can keep you healthier.

Spending quality time enjoying life with your loved ones can keep your relationships strong, helping you enjoy the good times more and helping you through the stress of the hard times. Vacations can also help improve your job performance. The psychological benefits of having more frequent vacations lead to increased eminence of life that can lead to increased quality of work on the job.

Vacations are the ideal way to reduce the rising health care costs and save money. By taking a vacation, you are saving yourself from possible expensive cost of health care. Vacations are an essential part towards attaining great health. The high costs of medicine, hospitalization fee, or an unplanned leave from work because of health problems could cause further difficult financial situations. One way to prevent this is finding a good program that offers affordable and reliable trips. There are travel club memberships that allow you to do just that.

The main thing about having frequent vacation is a good amount of time away from the stresses of daily life can give you the break you need. With less stress, you will not only have a great time living life you would also have more time living it. Enjoy life, you only go around once.

Debbie Turner, entrepreneur and home business coach, offers great travel destinations at over 5,000 locations worldwide, starting at $298 for a 7 night stay. For details on the Global Resorts Network luxury travel club membership visit www.globalresortsnetworkblog.com. Debbie’s website is www.grnreport.com. Phone is 843.270.5611, email: debbieturner3@yahoo.com. A member of this vacation club can refer others to it and generate $1000 referral fees.