New research suggests travel may do more than create memories. It could also help keep the body resilient and youthful.
TheDigger Intelligence Unit
A Surprising Anti-Ageing Tool
Retinol creams and supplements often dominate discussions about ageing, but scientists at Edith Cowan University (ECU) believe travel could be just as effective.
In a 2024 study published in the Journal of Travel Research, researchers used the theory of entropy, which is the tendency of systems to drift toward disorder, to examine tourism.
They found that positive travel experiences may help the body maintain balance, resilience, and repair, which could slow some signs of ageing.
“Ageing, as a process, is irreversible. While it can’t be stopped, it can be slowed down,” said ECU PhD candidate Fangli Hu. Travel, she explained, places people in new environments, encourages movement, increases social interaction, and sparks positive emotions—all factors that support well-being.
How Travel Influences the Body
In health, entropy means the body gradually loses organisation and function. Positive travel experiences, like exploring new places or meeting new people, may slow down this process. On the other hand, stressful or unsafe travel can make it worse.
Travel often brings together new experiences and relaxation. Being in new places can boost biochemical activity and help the body’s systems work well.
These experiences may also activate the immune system, making the body better at protecting itself. Hormones that help repair and renew tissues can also be released, which improves the body’s ability to heal itself.
Stress Relief, Movement, and Healthy Ageing
Travel usually keeps you active. Walking around cities, hiking, cycling, or simply being on your feet more often boosts your metabolism, improves circulation, and helps move nutrients through your body.
These activities support the body’s repair systems and reduce wear and tear.
“Participating in these activities could improve the body’s immune function and self-defence capabilities,” Hu explained. “Moderate exercise is beneficial to bones, muscles, and joints, while also maintaining an active self-healing system.”
Relaxing activities during travel can help lower long-term stress and calm the immune system. This can ease tension in muscles and joints and help keep your metabolism balanced.
Travel Therapy: A Growing Field
Since the 2024 study, researchers have kept looking into travel therapy as a way to improve wellness.
A 2025 research note called it a new type of intervention, and another paper suggested that travel medicine and tourism should work more closely together.
A review published that year found that tourism and healthy ageing make a promising field, but it still needs more research and better methods.
Overall, these findings suggest that travel may offer real health benefits, especially when it involves movement, social connection, new experiences, and rest.
However, researchers say more evidence is needed to know who benefits most, what causes these effects, and how long they last. They point out that there are still big gaps in research and call for more careful studies.
The Risks behind the Benefits
Travel is not always good for your health. Tourists can face risks like catching diseases, eating unsafe food, drinking unsafe water, or having accidents, injuries, or even facing violence. Bad experiences can increase stress and entropy, which detract from the potential benefits.
The COVID-19 pandemic is a clear example of how tourism can exacerbate health crises.
The main point is not that any trip will slow ageing. Instead, when travel is safe, it helps you recover and keeps you active, it may help your body and mind work better. This can support healthier ageing from within.