Travel May Slow Down Aging, According To New Study

Next time you say you need a vacation to recover from your vacation, consider a new study in Australia that says travel may be good for your health and slow down the signs of aging.

The new study, published in Science Daily and written by Edith Cowan University PhD candidate Fangli Hu, says “forget about retinol night creams,” because “travel could be the best way to defy premature aging.”

Leisure travel activities “might help alleviate chronic stress, dampen overactivation of the immune system and encourage normal functioning of the self-defense system,” Hu concludes in the study. “Engaging in recreation potentially releases tension and fatigue in the muscles and joints. This relief helps maintain the body’s metabolic balance and increases the anti–wear-and-tear system’s effectiveness. Organs and tissues can then remain in a low-entropy state.”

Travel often involves physical activities such as hiking, climbing, walking and cycling, Hu points out in the study. “Physical exertion can boost metabolism, energy expenditure and material transformation, all of which help coordinate self-organizing systems.”

Physical exercise while traveling “may also improve blood circulation, expedite nutrient transport and aid waste elimination to collectively maintain an active self-healing system,” Hu says.

A positive travel experience may enhance health, but a negative experience could compromise health, Hu warns in the study.

Tourists “could face challenges, including infectious diseases, accidents, injuries, violence, water and food safety issues and concerns related to inappropriate tourism engagement,” Hu says.

Travel and tourism, for example, helped spread the COVID epidemic, the study’s author noted.

Yet, the study shows that “travel therapy could be a groundbreaking health intervention,” according to Hu.

“Aging, as a process, is irreversible,” Hu says. “While it can’t be stopped, it can be slowed down. Tourism isn’t just about leisure and recreation. It could also contribute to people’s physical and mental health.”