Sometimes studies try to tell people what they don't want to hear for example, oversleeping may kill you, or your excessive reality TV diet is making you more of a narcissist. This is not one of those studies. According to the following UK study traveling benefits people by helping them lose weight, have more sex, and feel younger.
Everyone can agree traveling is a good thing. Next to a feel-good Live Laugh Love craft painting you may have at least once seen this shaming cliché quote: "The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page." Forget that quote because traveling isn't always possible, but if you can travel here's some of the benefits to look forward to.
According to Uproxx, Expedia surveyed 31 million travelers who've been on vacation in the past year. 81 percent of travelers reported feeling better after taking a vacation. Some of the reasons why? People reported traveling helped them lose weight, gain confidence, and have more sex, maybe even in that order.
Vacation means relaxation time, which helps alter your mood. Psychologist Dr. Linda Papadopoulos, who Uproxxreports helped with the study, explains, "You're free to do as much or as little as you like, which in turn makes you feel more relaxed. This can help reduce the levels of the stress hormone cortisol…As stress and anxiety decreases, mood increases—bringing many, often unexpected, positive benefits in how we perceive ourselves, motivation and productivity, and our general outlook on life."
Over one million travelers reported losing weight while traveling. Going out on adventures will do that to a person, especially if it requires more physical activity than a person is accustomed to in their daily lives. Take my friend who just went to California and almost died when she found out she had to hike up to the famous Hollywood sign.
"Exposure to a healthy amount of sunshine is also believed to increase the brain’s release of the hormone serotonin," said Dr. Papadopoulos. "Which is associated with boosting mood and helping a person feel calm and focused."
Speaking of physical activity, one million of the study's participants said traveling helped their sex drive.
Happy traveling!
