It is known that activities such as going to museums, the opera, the theatre and the cinema make us feel good. Now, for the first time, researchers in Japan 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 over 50, 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.
"It is worth noting that the effect is comparable to frequent physical activity," the researchers write in a press release.
The study is observational, which means that it is not possible to establish that it is culture itself that slows down ageing. The explanation could also be the opposite - that healthy people are more likely to engage in culture.
