8 Vacation Wellness Ideas

an older couple enjoying their vacation, and learning the benefits of vacationingA vacation away from your current environment is good for you. Whether you take a cruise to Alaska or help build houses for Habitat for Humanity, walking different roads, visiting unfamiliar locations, and sleeping in different beds benefit your health.

How do vacations benefit health?

  • Vacations reduce stress. Vacations remove you from the activities and environments you associate with stress and anxiety. Whether it’s the squeaky chair in your home office or the cold winter wind crumpling your umbrella, getting away from petty annoyances relieves stress just as much as if you’re working in a fast-paced business environment. One study indicates that the incidence of stress-related complaints, such as backaches, headaches, and heart-related irregularities decreased for up to 5 weeks after a vacation.
  • Vacations prevent heart disease. It makes sense: Stress causes heart disease, and vacations alleviate stress. One study discovered that women who only took a vacation every 6 years or less were almost 8 times more likely to develop heart disease, have a heart attack, or die of a coronary-related cause than those who took at least 2 vacations a year.
  • Vacations improve productivity. Whether you’re volunteering, developing a project at home, or working in an office, you get more done in less time after a vacation, studies show.
  • Vacations help you sleep better. By interrupting bad habits, such as leaving the TV on all night or working late into the night, vacations can improve sleep. Research shows that a lack of sleep leads to less focus, less alertness, impaired memory, a greater likelihood of accidents and a decreased quality of life.

8 Vacation Wellness Ideas

Health and wellness vacations run amok, from yoga retreats to seaside resorts to spiritual journeys. Whether you’re a runner or a couch potato, one of these vacations is sure to intrigue:

  1. Anse Chastanet Resort, St. Lucia. If you really want to get away from it all—TV, telephones and air conditioning—try this resort. You may not be able to listen to the news, but you can enjoy five dining options, two beaches, water sports, a beachfront spa, and access to the nearby organic farm.
  2. Aqua Wellness Resort, Nicaragua. If you want to relax in an eco-friendly resort, enjoy healthy cuisine and take in some yoga, book your getaway here.
  3. Asclepios Wellness and Healing Retreat, Costa Rica. Enjoy the spa, fitness center, outdoor pool, yoga, and organic restaurant amidst the mountains of Costa Rica. If you’re interested in changing your diet, be sure to schedule a nutrition consultation.
  4. Parrot Cay and COMO Shambhala Retreat, Turks and Caicos. You have a choice of being active, including daily yoga classes, Pilates, wellness consultations, and a private kayak excursion, or relaxing in the infinity-edge pool and world-renowned spa or on miles of beach.
  5. Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat, Bahamas. If you’re serious about yoga and don’t mind waking at 5:30 a.m., you’ll enjoy the atmosphere at this meditative oasis.
  6. Body Mind Spirit Journeys offers more than just tours of the world’s most famous sacred sites, most trips include ceremonies, wellness retreats, and visits to local shamans or healers.
  7. SpiriTravel offers adventures that include swimming with wild dolphins, walking with wild horses, and swimming with a manatee.
  8. Kendal Residence Swap. Residents of Kendal communities can get away to a place in Illinois, Ohio, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Maryland, Pennsylvania or Virginia with all the comforts of home by using Kendal Residence Swap. Kendal communities actually offer many of the amenities you’d expect at a spa, including yoga and tai chi classes, pools, wellness programs and gourmet meals.