It is known that cultural activities such as visits to museums, opera, theatre and cinema make us feel good. Now, for the first time, researchers have looked at how they are linked to our physical ageing.
To estimate physiological age, they looked at blood pressure, BMI and walking speed in 1,899 Britons, among other things, and compared it with how often they attended cultural events.
The researchers found that older adults who regularly participated in cultural activities tended to have bodies that were about three years younger than those who did not participate in similar activities.
"It is worth noting that the effect is comparable to frequent physical activity," the researchers write in a press release.
