Museum visits and creative activities may slow aging, UK study finds

People who regularly visit museums or participate in creative activities may be aging more slowly on a biological level, according to a new study from the United Kingdom.

Researchers from University College London analyzed data from more than 3,500 adults and found that people who frequently engaged in arts and cultural activities showed signs of slower biological aging on a variety of DNA-based measures.

The findings were published in the journal Innovation in Aging.

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The study examined activities such as painting, taking photographs, dancing, singing, visiting museums, and attending cultural events or historical sites.

The researchers compared participation in these activities with “epigenetic clocks,” scientific tools that examine chemical changes in DNA over time.

Adults who participated in more frequent and wider variety of activities tended to show slower aging scores than people who rarely engaged in arts or cultural experiences.

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This relationship appeared even stronger among adults over 40.

The researchers also noted that the effect sizes were comparable to those linked to physical activity, one of the most studied behaviors associated with healthy aging.

The study found that adults who more frequently engaged in arts and cultural activities showed slower biological aging. (iStock)

Jessica Mack, a health and wellness expert and founder of the Functional Consulting Group who was not involved in the research, said the findings reflect the growing understanding that health is influenced by more than just exercise and nutrition.

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“Arts and cultural engagement may be associated with slower epigenetic aging, with effects comparable to physical activity on some measures,” Mack told Fox News Digital.

Activities such as visiting museums and engaging with music or art can help reduce stress, improve emotional regulation and increase social connection, he said.

Experts say these activities can reduce stress, improve emotional regulation and strengthen social bonds. (iStock)

“These are not ‘extra’ lifestyle activities,” Mack said. “They may be deeply connected to how the body manages inflammation, stress hormones, mood, and overall resilience.”

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Mack added that people experiencing stress, social isolation, retirement or caregiving responsibilities may particularly benefit from meaningful cultural engagement.

But experts cautioned that the study does not prove that engaging with art directly slows aging.

“This is an observational study, not an experiment,” UCLA Professor Steve Horvath, a longevity researcher and pioneer in epigenetic aging research who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital.

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“So when researchers find that people who go to museums have younger epigenetic ages, we can’t tell whether their museum visits slow their aging or whether their slower aging allows them to continue visiting museums,” he said.

Although the findings suggest a link, experts caution that the study cannot prove that arts and cultural activities directly slow aging. (iStock)

Horvath said both explanations may be true to some extent, but called the research “methodologically cautious” and worthy of further study.

The findings remained consistent even when factors such as smoking, income, body weight and other lifestyle habits were taken into account.

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Regardless of whether engaging in the arts directly slows biological aging, staying socially and mentally active is associated with healthier aging overall, he added.

“The prescription is the same,” he said. “To continue.”