July 24, 2012
Why Adventure Travel Is Good for Health: Active Travelers Shed Pounds and Live Longer
Mark Thompson READ TIME: 2 MIN.
SEATTLE, WA - The Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) and work-life balance trainer Joe Robinson[i], author of "Don't Miss You're Life," say vacations are good for you, especially ones that emphasize fitness, nature and social stimulation. Three ATTA members- Country Walkers, Fit For Trips and Sol Fitness Adventures-attest to Robinson's claims that a fitness-focused trip can reduce stress, increase focus in the workplace, and help weight-loss efforts as well as overall fitness.
Every minute of walking can extend your life by 1.5 to two minutes, according to the Framington heart study[ii]. Country Walkers, which began 33 years ago with the simple idea of exploring the world actively, introduced safari walking tours in 2012. The company says that walking an extra 20 minutes each day can burn off seven pounds of body fat per year; addition health benefits include relieving symptoms of depression and stress to preventing diabetes and heart disease.
"Adventure travel options give travelers the ability to set their own pace while immersing themselves in the local culture and natural beauty of the region," said AnneCecile Blanchot, spokesperson for Country Walkers.
Sol Fitness Adventures organizes customized travel experiences that connect the mind and body with the transforming of of Mother Nature's gym, according to its founder Melanie Webb, who created the business by combining her fitness expertise and passion for the outdoors.
According to Webb, "Every one of our experiences is intentionally designed to 'unplug' and reboot the body, mind and spirit through adventure travel."
Marcus Shapiro of Fit for Trips, an ATTA member that provides fitness programs aimed to help put people in optimal physical shape to enjoy their adventure travels, says, "Even as clients physically prepare for an upcoming adventure trip, they experience a sense of well-being, self-assurance and strength." Fit for Trips weaves training in balance, strength, mobility, power, flexibility and endurance in order to make the most of an adventure travel experience.
"The power of adventure travel gives us something more powerful than we can buy: a personal experience in which we are engaged in something that has a profound effect," said Robinson.
Established in 1990, the Seattle-based ATTA (www.adventuretravel.biz) is a global membership organization dedicated to unifying, networking, professionalizing, promoting and responsibly growing the adventure travel market.
Host of the annual Adventure Travel World Summit executive trade conferences (www.adventuretravelworldsummit.com) and publisher of AdventureTravelNews.com, the leading digital trade journal serving the adventure tourism industry, the ATTA also makes possible www.Adventure.Travel, the traveler's hub of physical, cultural and nature-based adventure travel and guide to trusted tour operators from around the globe.
LINK: http://www.adventuretravel.biz/
A long-term New Yorker and a member of New York Travel Writers Association, Mark Thompson has also lived in San Francisco, Boston, Provincetown, D.C., Miami Beach and the south of France. The author of the novels WOLFCHILD and MY HAWAIIAN PENTHOUSE, he has a PhD in American Studies and is the recipient of fellowships at MacDowell, Yaddo, and Blue Mountain Center. His work has appeared in numerous publications.
