To Age Well, Focus on Art and Culture in Daily Life, According to a Study

It has long been preached that exercising is one of the best things to do to age well. But what if going to the museum, singing in a choir, or taking a pottery class did just as much good – even to your DNA?

According to a new study by University College London (UCL), engaging regularly in artistic activities could help slow down the pace of biological aging.

The study, published in the Innovation in Aging journal, analyzed responses to a questionnaire and blood analysis data from 3,556 adults in the UK.

The researchers compared the participation of volunteers in artistic and cultural activities with chemical modifications in the DNA associated with biological aging.

How art and culture help slow down biological aging

The team found that people who more frequently participated in artistic and cultural activities – and engaged in a greater diversity of them – appeared to age more slowly and present a lower biological age.

People who participated in an artistic activity at least once a week seemed to age about 4% more slowly than those who did so rarely.

Remarkably, researchers noted that this difference was comparable to that observed between people who exercise every week and those who do not.

The lead author of the study, Feifei Bu, explains: “Our study provides the first evidence that artistic and cultural practice is linked to a slower pace of biological aging. It adds to a growing body of work on the impact of art on health, with artistic activities showing that they reduce stress, decrease inflammation, and improve the risk of cardiovascular disease, just like physical exercise.”

The results were most pronounced in adults aged 40 and older and remained valid even after accounting for factors such as BMI, smoking, education level, and income.

The principal author, Daisy Fancourt, stated: “These results demonstrate the impact of art on health at a biological level. They support the idea that participating in artistic and cultural activities should be recognized as a health-promoting behavior, similar to physical exercise.”

She added: “Our study also suggests that practicing a variety of artistic activities can be beneficial. This may be because each activity has different ‘ingredients’ that promote health, whether it’s physical, cognitive, emotional, or social stimulation.”

What are epigenetic clocks?

The UCL research team studied seven different “epigenetic clocks,” tools that read the chemical patterns of your DNA to estimate the rate at which your body is aging.

Two of the most recent clocks, DunedinPoAm and DunedinPACE, estimate the aging rate, with higher scores being associated with an increased risk of age-related diseases. Researchers found that engaging in artistic activities, like physical activity, was linked to slower aging according to these measures.

For the DunedinPACE clock, participating in an artistic activity at least three times a year was associated with a 2% slower aging, while a monthly practice was linked to a 3% slower aging and a weekly activity to a 4% slower aging, compared to those who engaged less than three times a year.

According to the researchers, the difference is comparable to that previously observed between current smokers and former smokers.

In another test, known as PhenoAge, individuals who engaged in artistic and cultural activities weekly had a biological age on average one year lower than those who participated infrequently.

As a comparison, people who exercised weekly were on average just over half a year younger. This doesn’t mean you should permanently put away your running shoes for a sketchbook. Physical activity remains one of the most well-documented health-promoting behaviors.

But the study results suggest that artistic and cultural activities deserve to be considered alongside physical exercise in our approach to healthy aging.

In summary: buy that concert ticket. Sign up for that live model drawing class. Go see that exhibition you’ve been putting off for months. Your DNA might just thank you for it.

So many good reasons to check out our weekly culture digest, your guide to everything happening in Europe, from art exhibitions to new music releases, cinema, and series.

This text has been translated with the help of artificial intelligence. Report a problem: [feedback-articles-fr@euronews.com].