Top 7 Scientific Benefits Of Taking Adventurous Vacations

Thursday, November 26, 2020

Adventurous vacations are fun, exciting, and give you the opportunity to explore. But did you know that there are other scientific benefits to this as well? If you’re looking for an excuse to go on an adventurous vacation, look no further. Your next adventure could improve your mental and physical health, your relationships, and help protect the environment. What are you waiting for?

Get Fit

Whether you’re climbing or biking up a mountain, swimming in the ocean, or kayaking up a river, adventurous vacations can help you stay fit. Even if you’re a regular at the gym, outdoor adventures can work muscle groups that are otherwise hard to target. You don’t have to run a marathon or be the next person to scale Mount Everest to benefit from an adventurous vacation, either. Walking or jogging on the beach, exploring a hiking trail, and even walking tours around a city all count as exercise. 

If your next adventure involves kayaking, purchasing a kayak roof rack is a must. Adventurous vacations might make staying fit fun, but carrying a kayak or attempting to wrestle it into your car for transport is not worth the calories you’ll burn. 

Boost Confidence

Adventurous vacations are enjoyable, but confidence-boosting? You might be skeptical, but it’s true. One study of recent nursing school graduates found that participating in an outdoor adventure program made them feel more competent, more confident, and improved their leadership skills. These benefits apply to everyone, not just new nurses. Meeting your goals, interacting with new people, successfully completing a challenge, and having new experiences can all help you feel more confident. After ziplining through a jungle or whitewater rafting, the next presentation you have to give at work won’t seem quite so intimidating. Adventurous vacations offer lots of opportunities to build your confidence.

Improve Mental Acuity

As many people age, they worry about staying sharp. Maintaining your mental acuity as you grow older isn’t easy. There are genetic factors outside of your control, and there are so many recommendations out there that it can be difficult to know where to start. Crossword puzzles and adult coloring books are all very well, but research indicates that exercise, specifically walking, can improve your memory and decrease your risk of dementia. If you’re going to walk anyway, why not do it somewhere new and exciting?

Better Interpersonal Relationships

If you’re used to spending every family vacation arguing or sulking in silence, a more adventurous option might help you out. Exercise release endorphins and tires you out in a way that feels satisfying rather than exhausting. Being outside and somewhere new engages your mind and makes you happier. Between these factors and the fact that it’s easier to form and strengthen bonds when you’re working together to achieve a shared goal, an adventurous vacation could help you improve your relationship with your traveling companions. 

Stress Relief

Traveling somewhere new might not seem like the most relaxing thing in the world, and the more extreme physical activities often associated with adventurous vacations likely don’t either. However, having something to direct your anxiety or frustration toward can relieve stress. As mentioned before, exercise produces endorphins, and being in a new environment helps clear your mind. Adventurous vacations require focus, which can help you be more aware of the present moment and practice mindfulness. 

Stress isn't fun for anyone, and we all have our own little ways of coping with it. Some of us might go for a run, others will take a bath, and some may even use supplement products from places like Lazarus Naturals to help them get some relief from the thoughts in their head. 

Build Resilience

Resilience is one of the most undervalued traits out there. It’s not one usually focused on for development, which is unfortunate because it can have a positive impact on every aspect of your life. Resilience usually refers to how tough you are, but that language is misleading. It’s more about your ability to weather and bounce back from difficult situations. Adventurous vacations help build resilience in the same way they help build confidence. They show you what you’re capable of doing and help you believe in your ability to succeed. After an adventurous vacation, you might find yourself better able to handle situations you have struggled with previously.

Environmental Protection

While not a direct personal benefit, adventurous vacations can also help protect the environment. Eco-tourism intersects broadly with adventurous vacations. When done correctly, eco-tourism doesn’t harm the environment and, because it’s profitable, it makes it more likely that natural areas and wildlife will be conserved rather than replaced or exploited. You can visit and explore some of the most beautiful, pristine wildernesses left on Earth and feel good about doing so with the knowledge that your money is boosting local economies and protecting endangered ecosystems for generations to come.

The benefits of having an adventurous one are backed by science. Both your professional and personal life can be improved by taking an adventurous vacation, as can your mental and physical health. You can even feel like you’re doing your part to protect the environment, all while having fun. Your next vacation is just around the corner, so when you start to plan it, consider making it an adventurous one.