Researchers show that from the age of 50, adopting this reflex modifies the biological clock in a very concrete way.
To age well, we often talk about physical activity, nutrition or sleep. And it’s true that these are pillars of preventive medicine to stay healthy at any age. However, a new clinical and epidemiological study carried out by Japanese researchers from the Institute of Science Tokyo has just shown that regularly attending certain cultural places would have a measurable impact on the overall health and physiological age of adults over 50 years old.
To reach this conclusion, researchers analyzed the overall health of 1,899 adults aged 50 and older. To assess each participant’s biological age – that is, the actual vitality of their organs and metabolism, regardless of their date of birth – nurses assessed 10 physical health biomarkers: blood pressure (hypertension), cholesterol, blood sugar/hemoglobin, body mass index (BMI), muscle strength, respiratory capacity and walking speed, among others. These measurements were then combined into a single physiological health and age score. At the same time, the researchers measured the frequency of their outings: cinema, museums/art galleries, and theater, concerts or operas. (on a scale from “never” to “twice a month or more”).
The figures speak for themselves: a cultural outing every two to three months is enough to make a difference. Regular participants had an average physiological age of 66.9 years, compared to 69.9 years for those who never or almost never went, i.e. 3 years difference for people of the same real age. And the more often we go, the more the benefit increases: each additional monthly outing “gains” approximately one month of biological youth, according to the study published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.
What the researchers observe here is not magic. Several mechanisms can explain it. Cultural activities strengthen social bonds, which is extremely important when we know that isolation is one of the factors that most accelerates biological aging. These activities stimulate the brain, maintain attention and curiosity. They reduce chronic stress and promote better lifestyle habits in general. Factors which, taken together, make a real difference on the biological clock. Researchers even go so far as to write that the impact of these cultural activities on biological aging would be comparable to that of regular physical activity.
An important nuance is necessary: this is an observational study. It shows a strong association but does not prove that it is going to the theater which directly rejuvenates the body. Healthier people also date more easily – and this reverse causality cannot be completely ruled out. Researchers themselves recognize this and call for new studies to decide.
Still, the message is clear and rather encouraging: taking care of your health doesn’t just involve the gym or the plate. A cinema screening once a month, a museum visit per quarter, an evening at a concert with friends – these moments that we often postpone due to lack of time could well count as much for our body’s biological clock.
