While travel junkies probably don't need another excuse to justify their wanderlust, there appears to be recent research showing that globetrotting could also be an incredible option to prevent premature aging.
A study published by Science Daily shows that leisurely travel activities might help relieve chronic stress, reduce over-activation of the immune system, and even promote healthy function of the body's self-defense system.
“Forget retinol night creams, researchers at Edith Cowan University believe traveling could be the best way to combat premature skin aging,” the publication says.
Science Daily further points out that for the primary time, “an interdisciplinary study has applied the theory of entropy to tourism and found that travel may have positive health benefits, including slowing the signs of aging.”
Why did it take them so long to substantiate what everyone knows?
For those unfamiliar with the term entropy, it is assessed because the universe's general trend toward death and disorder, says Science Daily.
And it seems that entropy research suggests that tourism could trigger entropy changes, including positive travel experiences that moderate entropy and improve health.
Conversely, negative experiences can contribute to a rise in entropy and impaired health, based on the study.
“As a process, aging is irreversible. It can’t be stopped, but it can be slowed down,” says Fangli Hu, doctoral student and study director at Edith Cowan University.
Hu also identified that positive travel experiences can potentially improve an individual's physical and mental well-being through exposure to recent environments, physical activity and social interaction. And as an added bonus, traveling can encourage positive emotions.
“Tourism is not just leisure and relaxation. It could also contribute to people's physical and mental health,” Hu added.
Travel as anti-aging therapy
Let's take a more in-depth take a look at the excellent news from the study.
It appears that travel therapy may very well be a “game-changing health intervention when viewed through an entropy lens,” Hu says.
“As an important aspect of the environment, positive travel experiences can help the body maintain a low-entropy state by modulating its four major systems,” she says.
Tourism often exposes globetrotters to recent environments and, if all goes well, relaxing activities.
It appears that these settings can stimulate stress responses and increase metabolic rate, which has a positive effect on the body's metabolic activities and self-organization capabilities. These things may trigger an adaptive immune system response.
All of this “improves the body's ability to sense and defend itself against external threats,” Hu explained.
“To put it simply: the self-defense system is becoming more resilient. Hormones can be released that promote tissue repair and regeneration and promote the function of the self-healing system,” says Hu.
The healthiest types of travel include physical activities resembling mountain climbing, climbing, walking and cycling.
This physical exercise can boost metabolism, energy expenditure and metabolism – and it's all good for you.
“Participating in these activities could strengthen the body's immune function and self-defense capabilities, and strengthen its resilience to external risks,” Hu continued. “Physical exercise can also improve blood circulation, accelerate nutrient transport and aid in waste elimination to maintain an overall active self-healing system. “
Moderate exercise also has a positive effect on the bones, muscles and joints and supports the body's own defense system.
Of course, it's not all rainbows, butterflies and anti-aging when traveling. We have all experienced one or two setbacks while traveling. And in these cases, your body may not benefit from the full anti-aging benefits Hu's study reveals.
The research has pointed out that tourists may face challenges such as infectious diseases, accidents, injuries, violence, water and food safety issues and concerns related to inappropriate tourism engagement.
“Conversely, tourism can bring negative experiences, potentially leading to health problems, in parallel with the process of promoting entropy increase,” Hu said. “A prominent example is the COVID-19 health crisis.”
But all in all, there appear to be much more reasons to travel the world in case you can.
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