Need A Reason To Take A Vacation? It Could Benefit Heart Health, Research Finds
Vacations are one of the many joys of modern life; You get to leave your worries behind (for the time being, at least), try new things, and of course, enjoy some much needed relaxation.
Sounds great on the surface, but according to new research out of Texas A&M University, vacations actually have some marked health benefits as well. So, if you needed another reason to book your next trip, here's what to know.
How vacations benefit our health
For this study, researchers wanted to take a closer look at what really happens to our hearts on vacation. They had 20 students wear smartwatches on a cruise, with those smartwatches running an app that tracked their heartbeats, movements, and activities. Meanwhile, those students kept hourly diaries on everything they did on the cruise.
"We used the accelerometer and gyroscope in the watches to determine what type of movements they were doing so we could match up movements with what was going on with their heart health," notes researcher and professor James Petrick Ph.D.
Based on the findings, it seems that vacations act almost like a HIIT workout for your heart. As Petrick explains, "Travel, from what we've learned, is similar to how a good athlete trains, where you work out hard in short intervals, let your heart relax, do short intervals, relax. Vacations have a similar effect."
And not only that, but traveling also comes with stress-busting benefits. Namely, the findings showed that longer vacations resulted in more lasting stress reduction than, say, a weekend trip.
The benefits of novelty coupled with rest
There's nothing like an exciting new experience to get your heart pumping, and vacations can certainly offer you that. But vacations also offer us chances to decompress, whether it's laying on the beach, getting a treatment at a spa, or simply relaxing in your hotel.
"Our hearts react to exciting and novel experiences, then rest as we relax and wind down," Petrick says. "That's how vacations make our hearts stronger."
To that end, the next time you're planning a vacation, it might be a good idea to factor in plenty of activities and plenty of rest time.
The takeaway
Vacations aren't just about getting away from work—they're necessary breaks from everyday stressors. From helping you de-stress and unwind, to offering novel experiences, there's no questioning the benefits of a good vacay—and those benefits translate to heart health too.