People Who Live Almost A Decade Longer Than Average Usually Share A Specific Hobby, According To Study
Unai Huizi Photography | Shutterstock If you haven't been to a concert, you definitely should. Concerts give you a rush of energy and excitement you can only get from that experience. They also tend to bring people together and create a sense of unity and happiness.
But there's more. According to a 2018 study, the more you go to concerts, the longer you'll live. No, seriously, the research by O2, a company that owns some of the biggest music venues in the U.K., found that if you regularly attend concerts, you will have a longer lifespan.
When you think about it, it doesn't sound so far-fetched. Think about festivals like Coachella. They've been going on for years, and they have people who attend consistently and prepare for the festival months in advance, exercising and eating right so they look great in their festival outfits.
These concerts usually take place in the spring or summer when it's super hot, so people are sweating while dancing and running around, burning calories, and releasing endorphins.
According to a study, people who go to concerts live almost a decade longer than average.
According to The Independent, O2 conducted the study alongside Goldsmith University's Associate Lecturer Patrick Fagan, and they stated that the study shows only 20 minutes at a show "can lead to a 21 percent increase in that feeling of well-being." And after further research, the study showed that attending concerts often "directly links high levels of well-being with a lifespan increase of nine years."
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Fagan stated, "Our research showcases the profound impact gigs have on feelings of health, happiness, and well-being — with fortnightly or regular attendance being the key.
To further confirm their findings, the researchers had healthy participants complete physical tasks, including attending concerts, practicing yoga, and walking dogs. The participants were subjected to psychometric testing and heart-rate tests to determine how each activity affected them.
The results showed that participants who attended concerts experienced a 25% increase in feelings of self-worth and closeness to others, and a 75% increase in mental stimulation. "Combining all of our findings with O2's research, we arrive at a prescription of a gig a fortnight which could pave the way for almost a decade more years of life," Fagan explained.
The study demonstrated the positive, long-lasting effects of attending concerts on your health.
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Most people would agree that listening to music in general, whether a concert or the radio in your car, has a positive effect on your physical and mental health. These days music is used for just about everything, from working out to studying, or for me just cooking dinner.
In fact, in 2013, researchers in Finland determined that "children who took part in singing classes had higher satisfaction rates at school."
It's also clear that music can create happiness, which was confirmed by another study at the University of Missouri, which published its research in The Journal of Positive Psychology, which found that listening to joyful music had a "significantly positive effect" on good health.
So if you feel like you don't get out enough, go to a concert. It will not only improve your mood, but you will probably live a longer life, which is a total bonus.
Brittany White is a freelance writer who focuses on the latest news and relationships. She has written for Ocean Drive Magazine, Central Florida Future, and Knight News.
