Destination Event: ME Time

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Take one vacation four times a year and you could be saving your life (literally). When was the last time you took a vacation? Research shows that 34% of American workers do not use all of their vacation time. In 1992, a follow up to the Framingham Heart Study showed that participants who took the fewest holidays were most likely to suffer a heart attack. A study by the State University of New York, Oswego, published in 2000, tracked male patients at risk of heart disease over a 16-year period. "The results...," says lead researcher Brooks Gump, "...shows an association between taking an annual vacation and a reduced risk of heart attack and death." In Gump’s study, those who took fewer holidays were 30 percent more likely to die of a heart attack. Stress has also been shown to ignite or exacerbate ailments ranging from headaches to heart disease, colds to cancer

The good news is that getting away for a few days can be a clear benefit to your health. Vacations can run range from a do-nothing week on the beach, to a cultural and shopping tour of an exotic island, to a high-adrenaline adventure in Brazil. According to the experts, almost any type of holiday can benefit health to some degree because people tend to be happier, and sleeping longer and better while they're away can add a world of difference. After all, what a difference a day makes!

Here are some tips to a healthy escape:

A week is all you need: Trips of seven days or more are the most restorative. Taking fewer trips of longer duration is better for you than taking multiple mini-holidays.

Keep travel through time zones to a minimum: Jetlag is a form of stress and can undo most of the health benefits of getting away. If you want to get far away and return to the office refreshed and ready to work, travel north or south to avoid painful reentry. (Note: the time it takes to reach a destination neither diminishes nor increases the benefits of travel.)

Maximize your free time: Any type of commitment -- meeting with friends or family, checking e-mails, calling the office, or even following an itinerary -- will reduce the curative effects of travel. Freedom from obligations is key to a healthy vacation.

Choose a resort or cruise over a remote cabin in the woods: We might crave time alone, but making new acquaintances has been shown the increase the restorative power of a vacation. So go ahead and attend the manager’s cocktail party -- it's good for you.

Get off your beach chair: You'll feel more rejuvenated if you incorporate a moderate amount of physical activity (regular walking tours or other light exercise) into your vacation than if you spend the whole time lounging.

Keep it warm and light: We don't need scientific research to figure this one out, but studies confirm that in general, staying in a sunny destination provides greater health benefits than staying in one that has shorter days.

We get stuck in ruts. Vacations can help us develop healthy patterns to carry into our lives. Go out and explore! Your body and mind will thank you for it.

*statistics taken from Expedia International Vacation Deprivation Survey 2009