Who doesn't love a good live concert and seeing your favorite artist or band perform? Well, it seems not only getting to watch and hear them isn't the only benefit. Scientific research done in 2018 says that attending a gig once a fortnight could have life expectancy going up by at least 9 years.
The study which was done by Patrick Fagan of Goldsmith University, London UK, with help from the UK's O2 live music venues, had this to say.
“Our research showcases the profound impact gigs have on feelings of health, happiness and well-being – with fortnightly or regular attendance being the key. 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.”
But not only will going to a concert once a fortnight help increase your lifespan, it makes those extra years happier and fuller. Through the research carried out using "psychometric testing and heart rate tests", these experts found that just 20 minutes spent at a gig increases a sense of well-being by a staggering 21% where compared to just 10% for yoga and only 7% for dog-walking. In addition, people's self-worth increased by 25% and mental stimulation spiked up to a high of 75%.
Accompanying research found that people who attend a live concert once every 2 weeks were the most likely to score their happiness, contentment, productivity and self-esteem at the highest level (10/10), which suggests that regularly experiencing live music is the key to building a long-standing improvement to well-being.
Obviously, not all of us can get to a concert every 2 weeks due to life getting in the way and the cost that it can entail, so, why not listen to friends or family that may play a musical instrument or sing, stop and give that street performer some of your time, even watch a concert on the television or DVD, because lets be honest, music is such an important powerful thing, it brings people together, it instills emotion and memory's, and lets be honest, it does make us happy!
