People who frequently visit museums or engage in creative activities may be aging more slowly at a biological level, according to new research from the United Kingdom.

A study by researchers at University College London analyzed data from more than 3,500 adults and found that participation in arts and cultural activities was associated with signs of slower cellular aging.

The findings were published in the journal Innovation in Aging.

The research focused on activities such as painting, photography, dancing, singing, visiting museums, and attending cultural or historic events.

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Participants who engaged in these activities more frequently tended to display slower biological aging, as measured by several DNA-based tools known as “epigenetic clocks.”

These clocks analyze chemical changes in DNA that can reveal the biological pace of aging.

When researchers compared the results, they found that those who participated often, and in a wider variety of artistic or cultural activities, had slower aging indicators than those who rarely took part in such experiences.

The relationship appeared strongest among adults over age 40.

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The researchers also reported that the effect sizes were comparable to levels typically seen with physical activity, a behavior long recognized for supporting healthy aging.

Jessica Mack, a health and wellness expert and founder of The Functional Consulting Group, said the results highlight an expanding view of how human health is influenced by more than just exercise or nutrition.

“Arts and cultural engagement may be associated with slower epigenetic aging, with effects comparable in some measures to physical activity,” Mack said.

She added that these activities can reduce stress, enhance emotional balance, and strengthen social bonds.

“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.”

Mack also noted that people facing challenges such as stress, social isolation, retirement, or caregiving might find particular benefit in meaningful cultural engagement.

However, experts stressed that the research is observational and cannot directly prove that artistic or cultural activities slow aging.

Professor Steve Horvath of UCLA, a longevity researcher not involved in the study, cautioned that the correlation alone does not establish cause and effect.

“When researchers find that the people who go to museums have younger epigenetic age, we cannot tell whether the museum visits slowed their aging, or whether their slower aging is what allowed them to keep visiting museums,” Horvath said.

He described the study as “methodologically careful” and said the findings are valuable enough to warrant further research.

The results remained consistent even after accounting for factors such as smoking, income, body weight, and other lifestyle habits.

Horvath added that even if cultural engagement is not directly changing biological aging, remaining socially and mentally active is still associated with better aging overall.

“The prescription is the same,” he said. “Keep going.”