+ + + + + + ++ + + + + + + + ++ + + + + + + + ++ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + ++ + + ++ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + zest trend
CAN A
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
HOLIDAY
REALLY HELP YOU LIVE LONGER? Turns out it’s not just the all-inclusive cocktails that put a smile on your face, after all. New research suggests holidays reduce stress and can even prolong your life. But any old break won’t do, as Alexandra Shakespeare explains…
hat does a holiday mean to you? Time to reconnect with your family? No email (cheer!) for a week? A chance to – finally – read that book everyone’s been raving about? Eavesdrop in any office at this time of year and you’d think our lives depended on those two – if we’re lucky – weeks away, as we count down the days, sighing that we’re ‘dying for a break’. But new research suggests that we might actually be on to something – while it’s long been assumed that stepping away from the daily grind is good for us, numerous studies now claim to prove that taking a holiday could actually lengthen, rather than simply enhance, our lives. ‘Not only do holidays feel good, they actually make us healthier,’ claims psychotherapist Christine Webber, who carried out a series of psychotherapeutic tests on 12 patients earlier this year as part of Nuffield Health and Kuoni Travel’s
w
24 zest.co.uk
Healthy Holiday Experiment. ‘We sent one group – wearing heart monitors – on a holiday to either Thailand, Peru or the Maldives. The other group stayed at home. Afterwards, we gave both sets thorough medical and psychological tests and discovered that the holidaymakers’ ability to recover from stress improved by 29%, while that of the group that did not travel went down by 71%. The holidaymakers’ sleep quality and blood pressures also improved and, interestingly, the effects continued for at least two weeks after returning home.’ Christine’s findings echo the effects of holidays on cardiovascular health first brought to the fore by the influential US Framingham Heart Study in 1948. It followed 12,000 people over the course of nine years and found that those who took an annual holiday had a 30% lower risk of death from heart disease. ‘If that was the case back then,’ claims Camille Hoheb, founder of Wellness Tourism Worldwide
According to online trend-tracking tool nVision, more than 40% of the nation claim they find it hard to lead a healthy lifestyle. This, combined with a stalling healthcare system and recession-induced work stress means holidays that make it easy to nurture our mind, body and soul are undoubtedly appealing. Besides, who in their right mind would turn down a chance to solve their sleep problems, stress less and read that new novel in the sunshine, all in less than two weeks? Karen Canty, from trend forecasters Future Foundation, puts the popularity of healthy holidays down to our modern need to maximise every precious spare moment of our lives, not just in how we spend our money but our time too. She says, ‘Many consumers are starting to seek add-on benefits from every purchase – whereas before the recession, many of us may have indulged in luxuries for the sake of it, now we’re more and more looking for lifestyles, products and services that help us find an equilibrium and live more healthily. And travel is no different. The “best” holidays are fast becoming the ones that offer an added dimension of wellness.’ But do we really need a special type of trip to reap the benefits? What’s so wrong with a week on a sunlounger, a jug of sangria and the latest bonkbuster on your Kindle? After all, despite all their bespoke health and fitness plans, associations with celebrity gurus and designer fit kit hire with your baggage allowance in mind, aren’t the new breed of wellness retreats really just a five-star version of a no-frills bootcamp? ‘Wellness holidays teach you how to integrate the learnings into everyday life,’ explains Sarah Morgan, director of Health Matters 360. ‘At the start of your holiday, you could have a consultation with a nutritionist who might recommend certain dietary changes and the menus there will be geared up to supporting these messages. Or you may be offered cookery lessons so that you can take home and implement your new healthy eating habits.’ She adds, ‘They’re a great way to fully recharge, while a “fly-and-flop” holiday can leave our minds free to wander back to work worries on the sunlounger. At the other extreme, a detox break, diet retreat or J
‘WE NEED TO MAKE A CONSCIOUS EFFORT TO INVEST IN OURSELVES’
(WTW), ‘just imagine what’s at stake at a time when there are increasingly blurred boundaries between work and home life, and when economic meltdown is creating far more pressure and anxiety than ever before.’ That’s certainly the premise behind the new breed of wellness holidays now vying for our annual leave. In travel terms, it’s a super-trend – Mintel estimates that £270million was spent on health and wellness holidays in 2011 – a 100% increase on 2010. ‘Wellness travel is not medical travel and it’s more than just a basic spa experience,’ clarifies Camille. ‘It’s all about opportunities for transformation and experiences that provide meaning – think spiritual journeys and learning new skills, from meditation retreats to adventure getaways and volunteer trips.’ Boob job vacations in Poland do not qualify.
zest.co.uk 25