Several recent reports have suggested that participation in cultural activities is good for one’s well-being. Under the headline ‘Daily dose of art as important to health as 5-a-day’, The Telegraph reported that cultural engagement not only slows down ageing, but is a ‘human necessity’. The Guardian, meanwhile, said that visiting a gallery or museum helps people age more slowly and stay biologically younger.
Both articles referred to a study published in the May 2026 issue of the journal Innovation in Aging, which concluded that reading, listening to music, or visiting a gallery or museum confers benefits similar to physical activity. The research that led to this conclusion was based on testing blood and saliva samples for the presence of molecules associated with ageing and decreased bodily function. The relatively new science of the epigenetic clock is being promoted as a way of distinguishing one’s biological age from one’s chronological age.
Such radical conclusions always raise the question of causation: does going to a museum have a direct biological impact, or is there a simple correlation between people who age more slowly and their lifestyles? The study suggests that there is a causative link: a busy cultural life leads to the cognitive and sensory stimulation regarded as essential for avoiding brain degeneration; while social interaction avoids the psychological impacts of loneliness. Other benefits include stress reduction and lower blood pressure.
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