Frequent museum visits tied to reduced cellular aging, research finds

The findings were published in the journal Innovation in Aging.

Researchers compared participation in those activities with "epigenetic clocks," scientific tools that examine chemical changes in DNA over time.

Adults who participated more often, and in a wider variety of activities, tended to show slower aging scores compared to people who rarely engaged in arts or cultural experiences.

The association appeared even stronger among adults over age 40.

"Arts and cultural engagement may be associated with slower epigenetic aging, with effects comparable in some measures to physical activity," Mack told Fox News Digital.

She said activities such as visiting museums and engaging with music or art may help reduce stress, improve emotional regulation and increase social connection.

Mack added that people experiencing stress, social isolation, retirement or caregiving responsibilities may especially benefit from meaningful cultural engagement.

Experts cautioned, however, that the study does not prove arts engagement directly slows aging.

"This is an observational study, not an experiment," Professor Steve Horvath of UCLA, a longevity researcher and pioneer in epigenetic aging research who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital.

Horvath said both explanations may be true to some degree, though he described the research as "methodologically careful" and worthy of further study.

He added that regardless of whether arts engagement is directly slowing biological aging, staying socially and mentally active is still associated with healthier aging overall.

"The prescription is the same," he said. "Keep going."