Travel Tips for Boomers

For the country's 78 million boomers (born between 1946 and 1964), travel is a necessity, not a luxury. Boomers spend more than $157 billion annually on leisure travel, according to a 2005 AARP study, more than any other age group. Health-minded and active, boomers are choosing vacations that marry exercise and leisure, giving birth to a new "silver industry."

Adventure travel packages, health and wellness cruise getaways, cycling tours with bed and breakfast accommodations, and eldertreks to exotic locations are among the new vacation packages being marketed to those who are 50+ but still young at heart. As your doctor tells you at every check up, regular exercise increases mobility and muscle strength and reduces the risk of hypertension, heart attack, stroke, diabetes, osteoporosis and depression.

For tips on keeping active while traveling, visit AARP's website and check out the page, Taking Fitness on the Road. You'll find lots of fitness tips, exercises and resources for travelers. Pack your swimsuit and walking shoes the next time you go on a trip and have some healthy fun in the sun this summer!