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Benefits of Travel for Seniors

Written By: Nathan Justice
Reviewed By: William Rivers
Published: February 19, 2021
Last updated: October 2, 2024

As seniors, we might have already accepted being restricted to staying at home. Well, what we’re saying is the opposite. Studies have, in fact, shown that movement is an important part of keeping senior citizens happy and healthy. 

For seniors, keeping active might have been restricted to walks around the neighborhood. While that in itself is not wrong, you don’t have to limit yourself to the local park.

Besides, as seniors, we’re sure you’ve earned the right to travel. After all, it’s one of the few things we can spend money on that will only make us richer. Richer, that is, in terms of experience. 

That being said, it would still be important to remember our age. With that, let’s be responsible for our well-being when travelling. We’ll be covering all these in the following sections. 

Benefits of Traveling 

  1. Confidence boost

As we age, we start to notice that the people around us try to make life easier for us. While this might make us feel good in terms of the level of care we receive, a common effect of this is a decrease in our self-confidence. 

That’s because we end up feeling dependent on all these other people. Travelling can help counter that by throwing us back out into the world. Luckily, it’s not as wild as it seems. 

The short period where we’ll be self-sufficient in our travels boosts the confidence and improves our mental state. How’s that for a subtle benefit?

  1. Keeps the mind nimble

As well should know by now, traveling means planning. While it seems that all that happens is we get caught up with schedules, this actually helps train our minds to stay as nimble as possible.

What this means for you is having the ability to keep track of things better in the long run. Additionally, we end up being able to analyze situations critically at a faster speed, all while keeping our minds more open.  

Being old doesn’t mean we have to rely on others. We just need to take care of ourselves. 

  1. Releases stress

As we travel, a lot of our stress gets released through the various fun activities. This helps develop our own mental well-being and promotes a brighter outlook as we go about our day. 

This boost in our mood doesn’t just affect the mood though. All this helps support your own well-being as we get older. It’s a sure-fire way to remove a lot of the burdens our stress may place on our shoulders. 

  1. Keeps the body moving

Like we said, movement is important for senior citizens. Unlike what we previously thought, the difficulty in movement is not a sign of what we shouldn’t be doing. It’s simply a sign of what we need to compensate for. 

With that, getting our bodies moving is one of the best ways to make sure we stay as healthy as possible. After all, just because we’re aging doesn’t mean we shouldn’t take care of ourselves. 

  1. Boosts overall health

All these things provide some form of benefit in one way or another. The bonus here is that taken together, all these work together to help your mind and body stay at the top of their game. Indeed, travelling is one of the most fun ways to stay healthy. 

Mental and physical health both get a boost from the joy derived from travelling. In fact, a study conducted by the Duke Medical School has found that happy older people live longer. At the end of it all, we see better bodily function due to the long-term effects brought about by a little happiness.

Travel Tips for Seniors

  1. Call ahead

When we were younger, travelling was one big adventure. Now that we’re older, that doesn’t always have to be the case. Stay one step ahead by calling ahead for any special requests.

From the hotel bedsheets to the kind of water available in your room, you’d do well to clarify ahead of time. This is just to avoid any unnecessary problems you might face after arriving at your destination. 

  1. Know the area ahead of time

We aren’t as young as we used to be. That means, for us at least, getting lost won’t be as exciting as we’d remember it. 

Work around that by taking some time before your trip. Get to know the tourist destinations and the important facilities such as bathrooms and hospitals. This way, you get to travel at an efficient pace. 

  1. Check with your doctor

Before going anywhere,  you’d do well to give your doctor a call to let them know where you’re heading and what you’ll be up to. 

This is just to make sure that: A; they’ll know where you’re heading, and B; they are able to warn you in case you have to stay away from certain things or places. 

It should be easy to understand why. Some countries’ environments are not the friendliest for foreigners. Say, you’ll be heading to a hot, tropical country. Knowing the considerations ahead of time will help you pack for the trip much better. 

  1. Don’t forget about your medications

Just because you’re on vacation doesn’t mean your health is too. After all, your health is supposed to be one of the biggest beneficiaries here. 

The best way to deal with this is to set a recurring alarm on your smartphone for this. At least this way you can make sure you’re on schedule no matter what timezone you’re in. This is important as some of your medications might be very time-sensitive. 

  1. Stay hydrated! 

At your age, staying hydrated is a much more important task than what you might be used to. From walking to environmental differences (such as heat) will cause you to use up a lot of your water stores much faster than usual. 

We can’t stress this enough. Invest in a large water bottle that you can carry around wherever you go. 

At the end of the day, it’s all about being smart with how you approach the challenge and adventure of travel. Prepare ahead of time so that you can assure yourself a safe and convenient trip. For more insights, contact Senior Strong today!

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Nathan Justice manages community outreach programs and forums that help many senior citizens. He completed a counseling program at the University of Maryland’s Department of Psychology.
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