New Discovery About Aging: Visiting Museums Makes You Younger

According to SAEDNEWS, research from University College London shows that creating works of art, as well as attending art exhibitions, can be as beneficial as exercise in slowing down the aging process.

The results of the University College London (UCL) study, published in the journal Innovation in Aging, indicate that participating in various arts such as singing, painting, and handicrafts, as well as attending art exhibitions and visiting heritage sites, museums, and libraries, helps people remain biologically younger.

In this study conducted on 3,556 adults in the United Kingdom, the biological age of those who participated monthly in cultural activities was 0.8 years lower than those who only took part in artistic activities once or twice a year, while the biological age of those who participated weekly was 1.02 years lower.

Diverse Artistic Activities

Daisy Fancourt, the lead author of this research and head of the Social Biobehavioral Research Group at University College London, says: “Our study showed that the reduction in biological age is not only related to doing art regularly, but also includes engaging in a wide range of artistic activities. Each type of artistic activity—reading, making music, attending cultural performances, visiting heritage sites, and so on—has different cognitive, emotional, and physiological effects on us. Therefore, engaging in a diverse range of activities is very beneficial for our health, just like using different plants in a diet.”

Essential Matter

This study—which shows that participation in art and culture is, if not greatly, then at least significantly beneficial for biological aging—concludes that creative activities should be included in public health strategies.

Fancourt says: “This research shows that artistic participation is a health-promoting behavior. Therefore, it is important that we consider it essential. Promoting regular creative participation, ideally on a daily basis, is important, just as we promote 10,000 steps of walking per day or eating five servings of fruits and vegetables per day.”