If you love to go away on holiday but feel guilty about spending your hard-earned cash on exotic trips abroad, you will be pleased to know that the results of a recent survey carried out by Nuffield Health and Psychotherapist Christine Webber, indicate that regular holidays are not only good for our health, but they can also make us live longer.

The study involved 12 people who were given health assessments, psychological tests, lifestyle and dietary advice, and heart monitors to wear before being split into two groups.  One group went on with their everyday lives at home, while the other group were sent on holidays to Thailand, the Maldives or Peru.

Two weeks after the holidaymakers returned, both groups underwent medical and psychological tests, and the results showed quite conclusively that those who had been on holiday had lower blood pressure than those who had not, and that their mood, energy levels and sleep quality had improved significantly.

Additionally, the holidaymakers were found to have a higher resilience to stress than those who had stayed at home, they had decreased blood glucose levels and that their body shapes had improved (lost weight around their middles).

The holidays that were ‘road-tested’ during the survey included a small group escorted tour, a volunteer holiday, and a beach break in a luxury resort, and while they all had slightly different effects on those taking part in the survey, the results were all positive.

Holidays, it seems, really do improve our mental and physical health, and as many of us make life changing decisions while away or implement lifestyle changes that we learnt in a foreign land when we get home, the benefits could last long after our two weeks in the sun have passed.

So if you are feeling down, tired or ill, book your next holiday abroad – it’s good for your health and you might just live a bit longer!