Participating in the arts and culture ‘linked to reduced natural aging’ | Getting old

Singing, painting or visiting a museum or museum can help people age more slowly, according to recent studies linking being interested in the arts and culture to good health.

The findings are the first to show that participating in the arts and going to events, such as going to shows, keeps people young.

“These results show the impact of art on the environment.

They provide evidence for the arts and culture to be recognized as a means of promoting health in the same way as exercise,” said Prof Daisy Fancourt, lead author of the study and head of the social research group at University College London.

However, aging slowly does not necessarily mean that one will live longer. “Epigenetic clocks” used in research to detect natural aging are predicting future illness and death, and previous research has suggested a link between art and longevity, but more research may be needed to establish what causes longevity.

Those who are involved in the arts often significantly delay their natural aging process. Under one of the study’s evaluation methods, those who did it every week reduced their aging by 4%, while doing it monthly reduced it by 3%.

Similarly, some studies have shown that those who exercise at least once a week are naturally younger than those who do not engage in such activities. Those who exercised once a week were only six months younger.

The benefits that this technology has on aging are so impressive that they are comparable to the difference between smokers and those who quit, researchers say.

“Our study provides the first evidence that art and culture are associated with natural aging,” said Dr Feifei Bu, lead author and UCL student. “This creates a growing body of evidence about the health benefits of the arts, with art activities being shown to reduce stress, reduce inflammation and reduce the risk of heart disease, just as exercise does.”

Results, published in the journal Innovation in Agingis based on blood tests and survey responses from 3,556 adults taking part in the UK Household Longitudinal Study. They use blood samples to estimate people’s lifespan and how they age.

Participants were asked how often in the past year they participated in singing, dancing, drawing, painting or art, or attended an art exhibition or event, went to a museum such as a monument or old building or park, or went to a museum, library or museum.

“Most of us know instinctively that taking part in creative and cultural activities is essential to a happy life,” said Hollie Smith-Charles, director of creative health and change program at Arts Council England. “These exciting innovations are further proof that art, museums and galleries contribute to our long-term quality of life, and highlight the importance of bringing quality and affordable culture to everyone, everywhere.”

Evidence is emerging that the arts can improve mental and physical health. In 2019 the World Health Organization published reportby Fancourt and Saoirse Finn, which featured experiments such as playing music for patients before surgery and using art with people with dementia.

In a recent study, middle-aged and older adults aged 40 and older were most motivated by the speed at which they age by participating in the arts.

“Across the arts community we’ve known for a long time that creating art has huge health benefits, and the latest research adds a new dimension to the picture, proving that art and culture can also slow down the natural clock,” said Mark Ball, artistic director at the Southbank Centre, a multi-sport venue in London.

Southbank House was born in 1941 from the British Party. Its description as a “national delight” was no accident, Ball said. “It was a complete realization that, after the destruction and darkness of World War II, the country needed to come together through the arts to find a sense of hope and recovery.