6 fun activities that can slow aging, according to science — it’s good news for Broadway fans - New York Post

What the report says

The New York Post reported that new research links regular participation in cultural activities with slower biological aging among older adults, a finding likely to interest theatergoers, museum visitors and concert fans. The activities highlighted include attending movies, museums, art galleries, concerts, theater performances and the opera.

According to the Post, the study was published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health and conducted by researchers at the Institute of Science Tokyo in Japan. The researchers examined data from 1,899 adults aged 50 and older in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. They used health measures such as blood pressure, cholesterol, body mass index, grip strength and walking speed to estimate physiological age, which reflects how the body is functioning rather than how many years a person has lived.

The Post said older adults who took part in cultural outings every few months had an average biological age of 66.9 years, compared with 69.9 years among those with lower participation. The article noted that the strongest effects were seen among people who attended regularly, with researchers comparing the scale of benefit to that associated with frequent exercise.

The report also cautioned that the relationship may not be purely causal, since healthier adults may be more able to go out and attend events. Possible explanations include stronger social ties, better mental health and healthier routines associated with cultural engagement. The Post said the findings align with earlier research in UK adults suggesting that arts participation, including singing, dancing, drawing and painting, was associated with slower signs of aging.