As if you needed another reason to buy a plane ticket and check off another bucket list destination, a new study now points to vacations potentially prolonging life.
According to a 40-year long study recently presented, ESC Congress and accepted for publication in The Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging. The Finnish study included more than 1,000 middle-aged male executives and all participants had at least one risk factor for cardiovascular disease, ranging from high blood pressure to being overweight. And some of the results were pretty shocking.
According to Science Daily, men in one group who took three weeks or less annual vacation had a 37% greater chance of dying than those who took more than three weeks.
“In our study, men with shorter vacations worked more and slept less than those who took longer vacations,” said Professor Timo Strandberg, of the University of Helsinki, Finland. “Don’t think having an otherwise healthy lifestyle will compensate for working too hard and not taking holidays. Vacations can be a good way to relieve stress,” he added.
You certainly don’t have to tell us twice to start taking longer vacations! Not to mention that other science studies from US Department of Education have indicated travel makes kids happier and smarter, as well as enhancing their brain development. And just in case you’re still not convinced that travel has serious benefits, it’s also been linked to strengthening family bonds.
So start turning on those out of office alerts and booking those beach getaways. After all, your life just might depend on it.
Ready to be inspired and book your next family getaway? Start here!
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