Travelling for Older Adults
August 1, 2023
Tips, preparing your body, and benefits of taking vacation
Summer is in full swing and more people are back to their regular vacationing since we were rocked with COVID three years ago. Yay!
Summer vacations can be an exciting time for most, but it does take effort in planning, organizing and preparing your mind and body to be away for an extended period of time. Here are some tips to make the planning process smooth and a few suggestions to help prepare your body to be in travel mode.
Benefits of Travelling for Older Adults
It never hurts to have a change of scenery. Throw in some good quality family and friends time, tasty food, beautiful sightseeing and, boy oh boy is the heart filled the soul fulfilled. Travelling stimulates the mind, body and spirit like nothing else can and it provides health benefits to us that can last. Studies have shown that travel keeps older adults moving and active, often providing more opportunities to move than staying at home according to Senior Friendship Centers. org. Men who take vacation are less likely to die from heart disease, women who take vacation are less stressed and less likely to experience depression. Travelling to far distances with cultural differences opens the mind and allows the mind to experience richness in other ways of living. Not only is the mind stimulated by the experiences you undertake but also in the planning and preparation of such events.
Preparing the Mind and Body for Travel
Travelling can be physically demanding and having a body that is conditioned for walking, standing from a seated position, lifting or pulling objects, and having energy to last through the day. So, how can someone physically prepare for travelling?
Physical and Mental Conditioning
Begin preparing your body as soon as you can for travelling by incorporating more regular physical activity in your day to day. Here are a few ways you can do that:
- Set a goal to increase your daily step count by 10% each week leading up to your vacation
- Incorporate flexibility exercises into your day to decrease your chances of injury while travelling
- Incorporate strength training to prevent injury
- Balance exercises can help prepare your body when pivoting, turning or changing directions and also to prevent injury
Pisgah Valley Retirement Community offers a full range of group fitness classesfor older adults to take part in with credentialed and experienced instructors. These classes can help you safely and effectively tone and condition your muscles for longer endurance days. Be sure to check out our schedule and call the front desk with questions about how our program can help you prepare for your next trip!
Finally, preparing your mind to travel is key. Be sure to take care of your home and any pets while you are away. If you have trusting neighbors or friends then line up someone to stop by at some point to make sure the house doesn’t look like something is out of place even if you have a security system in place. Consider the time of year you are travelling and how that effects your home environment. Make a list of to do’s and check off each one as you prepare for departure.
Take time to research your destination and make a separate list of to do’s once you are there. What are rainy day versus dry day activities? What type of transportation will you be using once you arrive – Uber, trains, buses, bicycles, etc.
Final Thoughts
If choosing to travel with an agency, it can help take a lot of the stress out of preparing. Never hesitate to try something new like a cruise or group travel where the itinerary, accommodations, and restaurants are pre-planned for you. This can be a great way to see the world safely and meet new folks! Nonetheless, you will still need a body and mind that are prepared and conditioned to take a great trip and stay active along the way.