Age is just a number. Is it a cliché, yes. But is it also true? Perhaps.
Whether we view aging as full of growth or loss can impact how we actually age. Studies on the self-perception of aging have revealed a few myths, and the good news is that we can use travel to counteract them. In other words, we can use travel to make ourselves younger.
Can You Reverse Aging?
In the study cited above and a few others, it was often discovered that if we believe negative stereotypes of aging — mainly that memory loss, failing health, loneliness are inevitable — those stereotypes are more likely to come true.
However, if we recognize the positives of getting older and maintain a more malleable outlook on what it looks like to mature, we will see more positives in our life.
Can Travel Make You Younger?
Travel increases appreciation for what we have.
Practicing gratitude is one of the easiest ways to gain a positive view of life. It is consistently associated with greater levels of happiness and life satisfaction.
If you’re looking for ways to practice gratitude, travel is an excellent starting point. Travel makes us grateful for what we have by giving us a glimpse into others’ lives. Even if you’re traveling exclusively for leisure, chances are you’ll return from the trip feeling grateful for your home, your bed, and your life’s little routines.
At the very least, you might feel grateful for the opportunity to travel. Not everyone is so lucky.
As you get ready for your next getaway, try to keep a spirit of gratitude in mind. Plan a mission trip, drive across the country, or just explore a few minutes in your own city.
As travel writer Bruce Northam says, “There’s no doubt traveling has kept my youthful spirit alive. It’s shown me that regardless of where you’re from, odds are we share the same goals — to be useful to ourselves and our families.”
Travel takes you outside your comfort zone.
Getting out of your comfort zone can be a challenge, and overcoming those challenges is like taking your brain to a cognitive boot camp!
“It's a huge world out there,” said Christina, a Baby Boomer-generation traveler. “Some people, when they get older, go on the same vacation year after year. That’s just not how I operate. I think it’s important to get out of your comfort zone. There are so many places that my husband and I loved but wouldn’t have ever discovered if we hadn’t been open to exploring new cities.”
Escape the ordinary by taking a walking tour of a European city to learn about the histories that shaped it. Sample bizarre foods you’ve only seen on TV. Try a cruise — especially if you’ve never taken one — and experience different places with the ultimate ease of planning. Instead of your usual hotel room, try an Airbnb or other unusual accommodation like a castle.
If you’re not used to traveling solo, give that a shot, too. You might surprise yourself by how competent you feel after you solve a sticky logistics problem or dine by yourself without feeling self-conscious.
With each new experience, you’ll gain useful skills and cherished memories.
Traveling is a great way to stay fit.
It’s no secret that getting regular exercise is essential for keeping your body fit and feeling young. Traveling is filled with opportunities for hiking, biking, and exploring in ways that will have you logging record daily steps on your Fitbit.
Make sure to listen to your body. On days when you’re spending hours sitting in a car or on a plane, take periodic breaks to stretch and walk around. On more strenuous travel days, remember to build in time to eat, hydrate, and rest.
Travel helps us beat loneliness.
More than one-third of adults aged 45 and older feel lonely, according to a report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. That same report also found that almost one-fourth of people aged 65 and older are socially isolated.
Loneliness and isolation can lead to serious physical and mental health problems, and as the stats above suggest, it’s a particular concern as we get older. We can fend off isolation with travel.
If you don’t have a partner or friend to travel with, that doesn’t mean your trip will be lonely, and it certainly doesn’t mean you have to stay home. Consider joining a tour group. Road Scholars, a tour company that caters to travelers aged 50 and up, reported that at least 60% of its solo travelers in 2022 were married but traveled without their spouse.
Joining a tour gives you the chance to see somewhere new with minimal planning while enjoying the company of others. Worried about navigating on your own? There’s a guide for that. Don’t want to have dinner by yourself? Go with a fellow traveler from your group.
Alternatively, you could travel with a mission group. Or make it a point to chat with locals regardless of where you go or who you go with. Actively seek out opportunities to connect with other people whose path you might not have crossed had you stayed home.
Having a partner to explore with can add depth to your travel and your relationship. Think of it as an epic date night where you get to leave day-to-day responsibilities behind and focus on being together.
“As much as I enjoy travel personally, it’s a great way to connect with my wife,” said Brad, another Baby Boomer traveler. “She is always at her happiest when we’re on a trip. It doesn’t matter if it’s a weekend away or a vacation in Europe. She just lights up. She and I have worked hard and made plenty of sacrifices over the years. Now’s the time for us to just have fun together.”
Baby Boomers who are now empty nesters might find this particularly attractive. Said Mary Beth, “Now that our boys are all grown up, my husband and I are a little more adventurous. We took a trip to Canada this summer, and we spent about half the trip just riding in trains since my husband is such a train guy. These days, we love being able to plan our trips around what we like to do, and not just focus on the kids the whole time.”
Travel helps you beat boredom.
A common fear of aging is that you’re going to get stuck in your ways and life will get boring. If you want to stay young, you need to continually seek out new experiences. Test out new interests. Be spontaneous.
The great news is that as we get older, we often have more flexibility to pursue that spontaneity.
“Now that we’re empty-nesters, my husband and I can take longer trips without worrying about school schedules,” said Christina. “We can splurge on a nice meal or an extra night at a hotel without having to crunch the numbers first. It’s not that we have a ton of extra time and money. It’s just that since we don’t have to factor in kids, we can do more with what we already have.”
Brad echoed that thought when he said that he now has the flexibility to take longer trips and go during the off-season, something that wouldn’t have been as feasible with kids in tow.
You might be stepping far outside your comfort zone or merely doing something different than you would on an average Tuesday night. Either way, shake up your routine with travel.
Take this final piece of advice from Jill: “To anyone who thinks they’re ‘too old’ or ‘too boring’ to travel, I’d say get over yourself and freaking GO! All of our days are numbered. Why not live those things you’ve only dreamt of?”
Protect What You’ve Earned
One of the upsides of traveling later in life that we haven’t mentioned yet is that we often have more disposable income than when we were younger. You’ve worked hard throughout your life. Now it’s time to enjoy the rewards.
Part of making the most of what you’ve earned is protecting your investment. Consider travel insurance. Trip protection benefits – trip cancellation, trip delay, trip interruption – can reimburse you for prepaid, nonrefundable trip expenses if you have to change your travel plans. That means money back in your pocket where it belongs.
Travel medical insurance can cover medical expenses if you get sick or hurt while traveling. This is especially important when traveling overseas where your domestic health insurance — including Medicare and Medicaid — likely won't cover you.
Talk to a licensed Seven Corners agent to find the right travel insurance for you. Or if you already know what plan you need, start your quick quote online.
Contributors
Luke Armstrong and Grace Lower contributed to this article. Both have written extensively about travel for Seven Corners. Luke is also the author of the book, The Nomad’s Nomad.
This article was edited by Becky Hart.
