Anciaes and his colleagues concluded that the link between travel and better health was strongest for people 55 and older who tended to use their getaways to visit family and friends. Again, this mostly came down to how vital social connections are for mental and physical health, especially as you get older. “Those aged over 55 are more likely to face other constraints to travel such as limited mobility. They are also more likely to suffer from loneliness,” Anciaes said. “The results of this study emphasize the need for public policies that reduce constraints to travel in the region, by providing better options for private and public transport that allows for more frequent and longer trips.”
In other words, dodging the inevitable ills of aging might just be a matter of making sure you’re getting out of dodge enough.