Travel is good for your health and can even slow down signs of premature ageing, according to the findings of a study conducted by researchers at Edith Cowan University in Western Australia.

Unless you spend the whole day lounging by the pool, travel is often a time for all kinds of adventure that spark emotions, wonder and encounters. And these kinds of activities stimulate our brains and help maintain good health.

“Tourism isn’t just about leisure and recreation, it could also contribute to people’s physical and mental wellbeing,” said Fangli Hu, who contributed to this research.

According to the study, exposure to new environments and a variety of activities “can stimulate stress responses and elevate metabolic rates, positively influencing metabolic activities and the body’s self-organising capabilities”, the researchers said.

This “may also trigger an adaptive immune system response”. Put simply, it means “the self-defence system becomes more resilient; hormones conducive to tissue repair and regeneration may be released and promote the self-healing system’s functioning”, Hu added.

For a trip to be beneficial in slowing down the ageing process, it has to be a good experience. So that trip where you ended up stranded on the side of the road in an unfamiliar country may not have had any positive impact.

Indeed, “tourism can involve negative experiences that potentially lead to health problems”, the researchers stressed.

Note that travel doesn’t have to mean jetting off somewhere far-flung: it’s perfectly possible to get away from it all without having to roam far from home, all while enjoying a change of scenery that could have a beneficial impact.