It’s everything you want & need to know about wellness travel. So you can enhance your health & well-being and come back from your travel adventures feeling rejuvenated!
Travel is a great antidote to the stresses of today’s fast-paced world. Anyone else agree?
After all travel isn’t just fun and exciting, it’s also an opportunity to enrich the mind, body and spirit.
A chance to improve health & well-being, to find balance and connect with ourselves and others. It’s the perfect opportunity to bring a bit of sanity and authenticity back into our rushed and hurried modern-day lives!
Wellness is a word you hear just about every day and there is no escaping today’s trend towards healthy living.
With this growing trend, attention has turned to travel as a way to seek out health & well-being. And it’s about time, life is too short not to thrive!
If thriving instead of simply surviving sounds pretty darn good to you, leet’s dive in to discover why wellness travel is for you.
What is Wellness Travel?
Maybe you are wondering what wellness travel is really about?
The Wellness Tourism Association defines wellness travel as: travel that allows the traveler to maintain, enhance, or kick-start a healthy lifestyle, and support or increase one’s sense of well-being.
According to The Global Wellness Institute, wellness travel is growing twice as fast as regular travel, making it one of the fastest-growing areas of tourism.
Given the ever-growing demands of daily life, it’s really not surprising.
The interest in pro-active self care continues to rise and people are now look to travel as an opportunity to “reboot”, find calm, & improve their well-being.
I know I do, as travel is one of the best mental health tools in my toolbox.
So, perhaps you are wondering how wellness travel relates specifically to you?
Well, have you ever traveled to…
- be active & adventurous
- find fun & enjoyment
- reconnect with family & friends
Or to…
- escape the daily grind
- relax & unwind
- destress
If you said yes to any of these, then you are already a wellness traveler!
We probably all are, to one degree or another.
What are The Types of Wellness Travel?
There’s a common misconception that wellness travel is reflective of elite & wealthy leisure tourists.Yet, in reality, wellness travelers represent a diverse group of people with a broad range of health needs, interests, & motivations.
Wellness travel is actually driven by two types of travelers.
On one hand, some people look to immersive wellness as the sole purpose of a trip (think yoga retreat or a packaged spa vacation). These are planned itineraries that focus on healthy behaviors. With this type of travel, people usually have specific health outcomes they want to improve.
On the other hand, for some the intent of wellness-oriented travel is simply to participate in experiences that support overall health and well-being.
According to the Wellness Tourism Association, the vast majority of travelers fall into this category, those looking to incorporate wellness elements into their travel plans.
This pro-active approach to self-care would include doing things like:
- walking tours
- hiking, biking, & kayaking
- healthy eating
- spending time in nature
- giving back though “voluntourism” experiences
Perhaps you are already incorporating wellness to one degree or another. Or maybe your travels include both of these approaches?
Either way, what this really means is that wellness travel is 100% made for you.
So, whether you’re searching for wellness immersion or just a touch of wellness in your adventures, wellness travel is for you!
What are The Benefits of Wellness Travel?
Maybe you’re wondering what are the benefits of wellness travel?
By nature, wellness is a by-product of travel, not just a way to approach travel. So, just being outside of our daily routine and on the road is beneficial to health & well-being.
So although people don’t necessarily book a trip with wellness at the top of their itineraries, they often enjoy health benefits from travel.
Yet, taking time to plan wellness elements into travel is a positive and proactive way to enrich health & well-being.
Intentionally planning is an opportunity to align your travel activities with your current health needs and goals.
While of course, practicing basic health habits can also bring immediate returns.
Taking time to address the fundamentals like getting adequate sleep, managing stress, and eating nutrient-dense foods will pay off during travels with increased energy, focus, and enjoyment.
Sounds good, right?
Then there are the long-term benefits too. Research has shown that travel can help to relieve stress and lowers the risk of depression and even heart attacks.
It just gets better!
Furthermore, the long-running Framingham heart study has shown that annual vacations even reduce the risk of death.
Enough said!
Travel is also a catalyst for happiness and overall well-being.
Studies show that investing in experiences (like travel) versus material things, brings us more enduring happiness.
In addition, travel is empowering, enlightening, stimulating, & transformative. It can be a real game-changer to personal growth by helping us push through our comfort zones.
Turning into a better version of ourselves, now that’s worth booking a trip today!
How Do Your Plan Wellness Travel?
When it comes to wellness planning one size does not fit all. Meaning it will look different for every person & every trip.
The good news is that every destination has something unique to offer, so wellness travel can be planned anywhere and everywhere.
In addition, wellness can be incorporated into any length of travel. Whether you’re planning a day trip, a weekend getaway, or a vacation.
Wellness travel also works with any style of travel. Whether it’s solo travel, a group of friends, a couple, or family travel. And since infusing wellness into travel is most successful when it’s intentional, it all starts with planning.
Since travel plans can be personalized to meet your individualized goals, there are many ways to go about incorporating wellness into travel.
A great way to jumpstart your planning, is to ask yourself some wellness questions. This will give you an idea of what your needs are, so you can better plan a trip that aligns with supporting your health & well-being.
Then start by considering destinations and activities that would support your needs. For example:
- Want to be physically active? Choose a location in the mountains.
- Craving nature time? Book a hotel overlooking the ocean.
- Interested in rejuvenating? Visit a spa.
- Love food? Take a culinary tour.
- Need to escape from it all? Try a wellness weekend getaway.
Whether it entails self-development, physical activity, reconnecting with others, time to relax, or stimulating your intellectual curiosity…the key is to incorporate pieces that interest you & support your current needs.
Related: Wellness Travel Planning Questions
Incorporate Self- Care into Your Travels
How you choose to incorporate wellness into your travels, also depends upon your current health habits. So, your daily self-care routine is something to consider as you plan your travels.
Even a few simple everyday healthy habits can keep illness at bay and give you the energy you need for your adventures.
In addition, adding some holistic mind & body activities can expand your experiences and help you connect with yourself even more.
A good way to practice self-care on the road is to take your daily habits and self-care strategies with you. While it isn’t always possible to do the same activities on the road, you can always search for alternatives.
In addition, travel is also a great time to be open to new activities. You never know what new healthy habit you just might just kick-start!
Related: The Ultimate Self-Care Travel Guide
Adopt a Mindful Approach
Mindfulness and travel? Well, of course!
Beyond the destinations, accommodations, and activities we choose to enhance our well-being on the road; how we travel matters.
Mindfulness, or moment-to-moment awareness, is a tool that anyone can use at any time to fully be in the present. So, why not extend it to travel?
It can be easy to rush through modern life without paying attention to much. But, travel is an ideal time to really slow down & live in the moment. That’s what mindful travel is really all about.
So why not visit a quiet mountain hamlet, plan a winter mindful photo walk, or stop and enjoy the awe of a sunset?
Your mind & body will thank you.
Disconnect & Heal in Nature
Why is it we just feel better after spending time in nature?
As it turns out, spending time outside in natural environments, like parks, beaches & woodlands, has many proven benefits for our health.
Some studies show that spending time near trees can even help us to feel kinder. A long walk in the woods has been shown to improve sleep. And nature can even help with the grief process.
One UK study showed that just living close to coastal areas has been associated with better general and mental health. Maybe this is why I experience such happiness when I visit Cornwall.
What about you, do you have a happy coastal place too?
In both green and blue spaces, nature seems to have the antidote to our fast-paced tech-driven lives. Getting outside is simply good for us.
Whether it’s an intentional digital detox you are looking for, or simply to spend time communing with the great outdoors, be sure to add nature time into your travels.
Regardless of your trip goals: relaxing, re-energizing or finding balance, wellness travel will benefit you.
With some intent & planning, you will return home from your travels better than when you left. Surely, that’s something worth traveling for!
until the next time…
…live well – travel well – be well
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