Retire in Paradise

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I need to take a vacation! There might be more underlying this statement than most people realize. Recently, studies have shown that your health may depend on it.

According to the Conference Board, a firm specializing in private research, the number of Americans who will take a vacation within six months is the lowest in thirty years. 39% of the respondents who took their standard consumer survey were also not considering travel next year — a low since 1978. Public health consultants believe this is a mistake.

Just when job insecurity and stress are at an all-time high, we could use a break. The Framingham Heart Study, an ambitious health research project, has been striving since 1948 to identify common risk factors contributing to cardiovascular disease. Researchers of the project observed three generations of questionnaires filled out over a twenty year period. The data showed women who vacationed only once every six years or less were almost eight times more likely to develop coronary artery disease or have a heart attack.

The relationship between lifestyle and stress is clear. Another study released in 2000 that involved 12,000 men over nine years had parallel results. Those men who did not take a vacation at least once a year increased their risk of death from a heart attack by 33% while also increasing their risk of death from other causes by 21%. The results also indicate that mental health is affected by vacations. Scientists at the Marshfield Clinic of Wisconsin report an increased rate of depression with a decrease in the frequency of vacations.

These studies suggest real evidence that taking a vacation is necessary to your health and well-being. Now is the time to reinvent our travel plans. With pressure on spending budgets, considering all the options is a smart idea. Not long ago, the emergent travel giant, MOR Vacations, unveiled a new product that will allow families to travel while squeezing the most out of their limited finances. Securing time off from work may be the only thing standing in the way.

According to the BLS, one-quarter of Americans who work in the private business sector are not afforded paid vacation time. Further, there are 127 countries that do have mandatory paid vacation time. The U.S., however, is not among them. The editor of Take Back Your Time, John de Graaf, is lobbying for an amendment to the Fair Labor Standards Act that would guarantee three weeks paid vacation to anyone who has worked at a job for a minimum of one year. Although a tough sell, this arrangement is more tempting to business because vacation time is more predictable than sick time.

It seems that economic progression is still on a downhill slide. Neutralizing the negative consequences is essential to our well-being. Earmarking funds for a leisurely and luxurious vacation is now urgent. After all, we are entitled.

A travel club lifetime membership could turn out to be a worthwhile investment. Stay away from timeshare rackets with recurring anniversary fees and long, drawn-out payments. Consider the options with a one-time, front-end fee and completely transferrable membership. Even more valuable is automatic VIP status for new members and free travel passes for unlimited guests. A travel product with these attributes will help balance your work-life responsibilities and squeeze every cent out of your travel budget.

Tags: Travel & Leisure