If Moving Overseas is the Remedy, the Side-Effects Are a Welcome Bonus

It’s a funny thing that, when I talk to International Living readers who are considering a move overseas, very few of them mention getting healthier or more active as a major motivation.

But when I talk to expats who have already made their move, almost of them tell me that, since relocating, they’ve shed the extra weight they were carrying, they’ve found themselves walking more often, they’re eating more healthily, and they’re feeling better— younger, even—than they have in decades.

It’s my theory that modern life has conditioned us to accept the gradual decline in health that seems to come with living in industrialized countries. We don’t even question it.

Which may be why expats who have made the move overseas and whose lives have become more active and healthier always seem so surprised. It wasn’t why they moved abroad, but it’s a very pleasant side-effect.

Take Bill Stanley, who moved to Ecuador after having quintuple bypass surgery in Texas. Now he’s teaching kids to skateboard in the seaside town of Olón. He wasn’t expecting that, but he’s certainly happy about it.

Or Iain and Patricia Torrance, who sold their car, house, and boat to live out their dream to tour the finest golf experiences of Southeast Asia. Right now they’re in Thailand: “Here we are graciously welcomed with Asian hospitality and can play on perfectly manicured greens and fairways,” Patricia says. They’ve found the golfing so good that they’re playing more than ever.

And when health problems occur, as they sometimes do, it’s comforting to live in a place where quality healthcare is affordable and accessible. In the safe, stable nation of Uruguay, you can enroll with a private provider for as little as $60 a month. Plus, there’s a public- healthcare system where age or pre-existing conditions are no barrier to admission. IL contributor David Hammond lives in the capital, Montevideo, and reports on your healthcare options in-country. Combine that with Uruguay’s healthy climate, laidback but sophisticated lifestyle, and excellent cuisine, and it’s easy to see why expats there enjoy more active lives than they had in North America.

As side-effects go, better health is a compelling reason to consider a move overseas. We’ll show you lots of places where you can find it…

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