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A Vacation a Year Removes Heart Attack Fear

Posted June 16, 2008 at 03:00 PM by Donnell Peavy

Section: His Fitness, Alt. Therapies, His Health, Mental Health, Physical Health, Lifestyle Health

If you are like me, then you know that taking a vacation, though a seemingly good idea, can mean more work for you in the long run. When I leave my desk for any more than a few days, mounds of work begins to pile up on my desk. I have hundreds of emails to drudge through. Several voice mails. Taking a vacation just really isn’t worth it, or is it?

An article in The New York Times provides evidence that taking vacations may have medical benefits in terms of lowering stress and aiding in sleep. According to a study done by Expedia.com, approximately one third of Americans do not use all of the vacation time that they are entitled to, leaving an average of three days unused. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says that one fourth of workers in the private sector do not even receive paid vacation. What’s worse is that the number of Americans who plan on taking a vacation within the next six months is at an all time low, most likely due to the economy.

How can not taking vacations affect your health? A nine year study of 12,000 males who were at high risk for coronary disease reported that twenty one percent of those involved in the study were likely to die from all causes and thirty two percent more likely to die of a heart attack. In 2006, Mark Rosekind, president and chief scientist at Alertness Solutions performed a study on fifteen people traveling from the U.S. west coast to New Zealand for a period of seven to twelve days. The study showed that after a few days on vacation, people’s reaction time and sleep quality improved.

Research sources and for more information: [New York Times]

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Tags: donnell peavy, donnellpeavy, heart attack, sleep quality, vacation, vacation and mental health, vacation and physical health

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