{"id":41676,"date":"2026-04-05T07:24:36","date_gmt":"2026-04-05T07:24:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/?p=41676"},"modified":"2026-04-05T07:24:36","modified_gmt":"2026-04-05T07:24:36","slug":"how-your-easter-holiday-could-save-your-life-travel-boosts-heart-health-and-reduces-stress-levels-researchers-find","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/?p=41676","title":{"rendered":"How your Easter holiday could save your life! Travel boosts heart health and reduces stress levels, researchers find"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"js-article-text\" wp_automatic_readability=\"92.268941429339\">\n<p class=\"author-section byline-plain\">By <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/profile-243\/ethan-ennals.html\" class=\"author\">ETHAN ENNALS, HEALTH EDITOR<\/a> <\/p>\n<p class=\"byline-section\"><span class=\"article-timestamp article-timestamp-published\"> <span class=\"article-timestamp-label\">Published:<\/span> <time datetime=\"2026-04-05T00:48:23+0100\"> 19:48 EDT, 4 April 2026 <\/time> <\/span> | <span class=\"article-timestamp article-timestamp-updated\"> <span class=\"article-timestamp-label\">Updated:<\/span> <time datetime=\"2026-04-05T00:55:06+0100\"> 19:55 EDT, 4 April 2026 <\/time> <\/span> <\/p>\n<p> <!-- ad: https:\/\/mads.dailymail.co.uk\/v8\/us\/health\/none\/article\/other\/para_top.html --> <!-- CWV --><!--[if !IE]><!--> <link href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/static\/mol-fe\/static\/mol-fe-async-bundle\/11.66.1\/articleDefer.css\" media=\"all\" rel=\"stylesheet\" type=\"text\/css\" \/> <!--<![endif]--> <!--[if IE]>\n<link href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/static\/gunther\/1.17.0\/registration--.css\" media=\"screen\" rel=\"stylesheet\" type=\"text\/css\" \/>\n<![endif]--> <!--[if !IE]><!--> <link href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/static\/gunther\/18.4.3\/registration--.css\" media=\"all\" rel=\"stylesheet\" type=\"text\/css\" \/> <!--<![endif]--><!--[if IE]>\n<link href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/static\/gunther\/1.17.0\/all-ie8-9--.css\" media=\"all\" rel=\"stylesheet\" type=\"text\/css\" \/>\n<link href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/static\/gunther\/1.17.0\/all1-ie8-9--.css\" media=\"all\" rel=\"stylesheet\" type=\"text\/css\" \/>\n<![endif]--> <!--[if !IE]><!--> <link href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/static\/mol-fe\/static\/mol-fe-sync-bundle\/15.78.0\/desktop.css\" media=\"all\" rel=\"stylesheet\" type=\"text\/css\" \/> <link href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/static\/gunther\/18.5.0\/all--.css\" media=\"all\" rel=\"stylesheet\" type=\"text\/css\" \/><link href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/static\/gunther\/18.5.0\/all1--.css\" media=\"all\" rel=\"stylesheet\" type=\"text\/css\" \/> <!--<![endif]--> <!--[if IE 8]>\n\n<![endif]--> <!--[if IE 9]>\n\n<![endif]--> <!--[if IE]>\n\n<![endif]--> <!--[if !IE]> -->  <!--<![endif]--><!-- SiteCatalyst code version: H.20.3.\n    Copyright 1997-2009 Omniture, Inc. More info available at\n    http:\/\/www.omniture.com -->  <\/p>\n<p>         <!-- End SiteCatalyst code version: H.20.3. -->  <!--[if IE]>\n\n<![endif]--> <!--[if !IE]> -->   <!--<![endif]--><!--[if IE]>\n  \n  <noscript><link rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/static\/gunther\/gunther-2159\/video_bundle--.css\"><\/noscript>\n  \n<![endif]--> <!--[if !IE]> --> <link rel=\"preload\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/static\/videoplayer\/7.16.0\/styles\/mol-fe-videoplayer.min.css\" as=\"style\" onload=\"this.rel=\" stylesheet=\"\" \/> <noscript><link rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/static\/videoplayer\/7.16.0\/styles\/mol-fe-videoplayer.min.css\" \/><\/noscript>  <!-- <![endif]-->   <!-- CWV --><\/p>\n<div itemprop=\"articleBody\" wp_automatic_readability=\"75.146746065504\">\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">A trip away this <a style=\"font-weight: bold;\" target=\"_self\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/easter\/index.html\" id=\"mol-4a01dfe0-3080-11f1-a7a7-0519179b7dbd\">Easter<\/a> break isn&#8217;t just an excuse for fun &#8211; it could also save people from life-threatening heart issues.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Researchers at <a style=\"font-weight: bold;\" target=\"_self\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/texas\/index.html\" id=\"mol-4a008050-3080-11f1-a7a7-0519179b7dbd\">Texas<\/a> A&amp;M University have discovered that travelling boosts heart health, as well as increasing productivity and reducing stress levels.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">They also found that the longer the trip, the more beneficial it was to health.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">To assess the boost gained from a holiday, the researchers took a unique approach &#8211; they sent 20 students on a cruise, and equipped them with smartwatches that monitored their heart health.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">The devices revealed that once the students began their cruise, unsurprisingly, their blood pressure levels fell.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">The effects became more pronounced over time, which the researchers argue shows that longer holidays have more health benefits than short breaks.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">However, the scientists suggest that the heart health improvements were not caused by relaxation, but by excitement.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Travel is similar to how a good athlete trains &#8211; where you work out hard in short intervals, let your heart relax, do short intervals, relax, says Dr James Petrick, a health researcher at Texas A&amp;M University.<\/p>\n<div class=\"artSplitter mol-img-group\" wp_automatic_readability=\"9\">\n<div class=\"mol-img\">\n<div class=\"image-wrap\">  <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"imageCaption\">Researchers at Texas A&amp;M University have discovered that travelling boosts heart health, as well as increasing productivity and reducing stress levels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"artSplitter mol-img-group\" wp_automatic_readability=\"10\">\n<div class=\"mol-img\">\n<div class=\"image-wrap\"> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-899c935a36f6c091\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2026\/04\/05\/00\/107662771-15707035-image-a-75_1775346424062.jpg\" height=\"423\" width=\"634\" alt=\"To assess the boost gained from a holiday, the researchers took a unique approach - they sent 20 students on a cruise, and equipped them with smartwatches that monitored their heart health\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\" style=\"max-width:100%\" loading=\"lazy\" \/> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"imageCaption\">To assess the boost gained from a holiday, the researchers took a unique approach &#8211; they sent 20 students on a cruise, and equipped them with smartwatches that monitored their heart health<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">&#8216;Our hearts react to novel experiences, then rest as we wind down. That&#8217;s how vacations make our hearts stronger.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, affects 14 million adults, and can trigger deadly heart attacks and strokes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">When blood pressure is too high it puts strain on the arteries. Over time they can become damaged and narrower, making it easier for fatty deposits to build up.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">This raises the risk of problems and forces the heart to work harder to pump blood around the body. Other steps to combat high blood pressure include reducing salt intake, exercising regularly, limiting alcohol consumption and stopping smoking.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Dr Petrick added: &#8216;I think it&#8217;s more than just memories and joy, What our research has shown is that if we travel, our relationships with others get strengthened.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Travel makes us more educated than if we don&#8217;t travel, and we become healthier.&#8217;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>            <!-- ad: https:\/\/mads.dailymail.co.uk\/v8\/us\/health\/none\/article\/other\/inread_player.html --><\/p>\n<div class=\"column-content cleared\">\n<div class=\"shareArticles\">\n<h3 class=\"social-links-title\">Share or comment on this article:<br \/>\n                        How your Easter holiday could save your life! Travel boosts heart health and reduces stress levels, researchers find<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>            <ad-slot position=\"smart_feed\"><\/ad-slot><\/p>\n<p>            <ad-slot position=\"after_article\"><\/ad-slot><\/p><\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/health\/article-15707035\/Easter-holiday-save-life-Travel-boosts-heart-health.html?ns_mchannel=rss&#038;ns_campaign=1490&#038;ito=1490\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By ETHAN ENNALS, HEALTH EDITOR Published: 19:48 EDT, 4 April 2026 | Updated: 19:55 EDT, 4 April 2026 A trip away this Easter break isn&#8217;t just&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":41677,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[42],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-41676","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health-wellness"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41676","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=41676"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41676\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/41677"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=41676"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=41676"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=41676"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}