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Is there science behind the health benefits of road trips? Why do they make you feel so rejuvenated? What effects do road trips have on the brain and body? Sure, you love traveling by car, but did you ever wonder why? Turns out it isn’t just about the junk food and tourist attractions. There are scientific reasons why road trips have so many health benefits.
Hippocampus Expansion
No, this is not a college for overweight jungle beasts. The hippocampus is a vital region of the brain. One of it’s duties is to calculate spatial relations. Driving off on an adventure into unknown territory makes the hippocampus work. Brain work equals brain power. Compare this health benefit of road trips to the way doing crossword puzzles increases word power. Practice makes perfect.
Sing a Song
Crank up the volume and belt out those tunes. Singing along with your favorite song on road trips has several health benefits. First of all, music doesn’t just soothe the savage beast, it boosts serotonin levels to put you in a happier healthier mood. Singing also helps with other neurotransmitters in the brain. Singing lowers blood pressure and reduces stress levels. It exercises the lungs and facial muscles, helps you breathe better and boosts the immune system.
Fresh Air and Sunshine
If you live in the city, road trip’s health benefits include a break from pollution filled lungs. Breathe in that fresh air. Lungs begin to heal after just an hour of fresh air. Soak up the sunshine. Working in an office all day leaves our bodies thirsty for Vitamin D. Getting just 20 minutes of road trip sun gives us more than enough Vitamin D for the day.
New Faces and New Places
Want to expand your brain even more? Expand your horizons. Seeing new people and things gives your brain a mental workout. Touring historical sights and educational museums add to your overall knowledge and reasoning power. Put your brain to work processing some new information. Greater mental capacity is one of the many health benefits of road trips.
Getting the Most Health Benefit from Road Trips
To sum it up, the health benefits of road trips involve having different experiences. Seeing new things, meeting new people and traveling new roads are all brain building activities. Breathing in fresh air keeps the lungs free of pollutants. Sunshine boosts Vitamin D levels. Singing along to your favorite tunes stimulates neurotransmitters in the brain. Road trip health benefits are a great excuse to get out there and live life to it’s fullest. It’s good for you.
Please note: The author is not a licensed medical professional. Knowledge obtained through research and a lifetime of road trips.