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We’ve long been told that exercise is one of the best things we can do to age well. But what if visiting an art gallery, joining a choir, or taking a pottery class was doing just as much good – right down to your DNA?
Well, according to a new study from University College London (UCL) regularly taking part in arts activities may help slow the pace of biological ageing.
The study, published in the journal Innovation in Aging, analysed survey responses and blood test data from 3,556 adults in the UK.
Researchers compared participants’ engagement in arts and cultural activities with chemical changes to DNA linked to biological ageing.
How arts and culture could help slow biological ageing
The team found that people who engaged more often in arts and cultural activities – and who took part in a wider variety of them – appeared to have a slower pace of ageing and a younger biological age.
People who took part in an arts activity at least once a week appeared to age around 4 percent more slowly than those who rarely engaged with them.
Remarkably, researchers said this was similar to the difference seen between people who exercised weekly and those who did not exercise.
Senior author Feifei Bu said: “Our study provides the first evidence that arts and cultural engagement is linked to a slower pace of biological ageing. This builds on a growing body of evidence about the health impact of the arts, with arts activities being shown to reduce stress, lower inflammation and improve cardiovascular disease risk, just as exercise is known to do.”
The results were strongest among adults aged 40 and over and remained even after accounting for factors such as BMI, smoking, education and income.
Lead author Daisy Fancourt said: “These results demonstrate the health impact of the arts at a biological level. They provide evidence for arts and cultural engagement to be recognised as a health-promoting behaviour in a similar way to exercise.”
He added: “Our study also suggests that engaging in a variety of arts activities may be helpful. This may be because each activity has different ‘ingredients’ that help health, such as physical, cognitive, emotional or social stimulation.”
What are epigenetic clocks?
The team of UCL researchers studied seven different “epigenetic clocks” – tools that read chemical patterns on your DNA to estimate how fast your body is ageing.
Two of the newest clocks, DunedinPoAm and DunedinPACE, estimate the pace of ageing, with faster scores linked to a higher risk of age-related disease. Researchers found that both arts engagement and physical activity were associated with slower ageing on these measures.
For the DunedinPACE clock, taking part in an arts activity at least three times a year was associated with ageing 2 percent more slowly, while monthly engagement was linked to 3 percent slower ageing and weekly activity to 4 percent slower ageing compared with those engaging less than three times a year.
Researchers said the difference was comparable to that previously found between current smokers and ex-smokers.
In another test known as PhenoAge, people who took part in arts and cultural activities weekly were biologically around one year younger on average than those who rarely engaged.
By comparison, people who exercised weekly were found to be just over half a year younger on average. That’s not to say you should completely replace your running shoes for a sketchpad. Physical activity remains one of the most well-evidenced healthy behaviours we know of.
But the results of the study do suggest that arts and cultural activities deserve a place alongside exercise in how we think about healthy ageing
Put simply: book that concert ticket. Join that life drawing class. Visit that exhibition you’ve been meaning to get to. Because your DNA might thank you for it.
All the more reason to check out our weekly cultural digest, your guide to everything happening across Europe, from art exhibitions, new music releases, film and TV.