The weekly activity that ‘slows down ageing’ — and it’s not exercise

It’s fun and sweat-free (Picture: Getty Images)

Luxurious skincare. Sweating it out at the gym. Botox.

While there’s something to be said for ageing gracefully, we all take steps to slow down the clock — with varying degrees of success.

But now, a new study has found a surprising habit that can put the breaks on ageing, and it doesn’t involve any cardio.

It turns out that taking an interest in arts and culture can be an effective way to scientifically cheat time.

Visiting a museum, admiring some art, or having a sing-song, can all lead to helping you stay biologically younger.

The research by the University College London used blood samples from 3,556 UK adults to come to their conclusions.

Participants were asked if they had undertaken any of the following activities in the last 12 months:

• Singing
• Dancing
• Painting
• Photography
• Attending an art exhibition or event
• Visiting a heritage site (historic park, building or monument)
• Going to a museum, library or archives

Those who undertook one of these activities at least once a week were able to slow the ageing process by 4%.

These results were the same as those who exercised at least once a week, compared to those who did no exercise (so don’t thrown those trainers in the bin just yet).

And, on average, those who engaged in arts and culture were a year younger biologically than those who rarely enjoyed the same pursuits.

Take a trip to London’s new V&A East Museum

At a cost of £135,000,000, the new brand of the V&A in London’s Stratford is finally open, after taking 10 years to build.

Intended to attract new audiences and rooted in the neighbourhood’s industrial, creative heritage, it’s a far cry from the original V&A’s grandiose building.

Its two permanent galleries, titled Why We Make, span two floors and explore creativity in all its forms, spanning art, architecture, design, performance, and fashion.

Plus, the museum launched with a temporary exhibition on Black British music, which traces how Black British music has shaped British culture from 1900 to the present day, while mapping its global influence.

Interested? Metro went along, to see if the new V&A was worth the wait. Check out our honest review, here.

Professor Daisy Fancourt, the lead author of the study, which was published in the Oxford Academic Innovation in Aging, wrote within the research: ‘This study provides the first evidence that engaging in arts and cultural activities is associated with a slower pace of biological ageing, with benefits similar to physical activity.’

The results were so stark, that researchers said the results were comparable to the difference previously found between current smokers and ex-smokers.

It is worth noting that slower ageing doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll live longer, though.

Fun and good for your health (Picture: Getty Images/Maskot)

The study used seven different ‘epigenetic clocks’ to determine the speed of aging, these are tools that read chemical patterns on your DNA.

While the researchers pointed out that ‘ageing clocks are not without controversy; and that ‘there is no gold standard for measuring epigenetic biological ageing’, arts and culture activity was related to a slower pace of ageing on three of the seven clocks.

Researchers also add that their results show arts and culture as a ‘potential contributor to healthy ageing at a biological level, supporting its inclusion in public health strategies.

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