Science says: going to a concert is healthy

There are few things that make me happier than going to a concert. The whole atmosphere and singing (off-key) along with so many people, wonderful. It was already known that music can have a lot of influence on your well-being. But research also shows that going to concerts is very good for your health and can even help you live longer.

Better than yoga

Being at a live performance creates a sense of togetherness. Everyone is there with the same goal: to enjoy the music of that one artist. It's also not strange if you spontaneously start chatting with people you don't know at all. That connection ensures that your well-being improves significantly. And the whole live setting also boosts your self-esteem. This is evident from research by behavioral scientist Patrick Fagan. He had people engage in different activities to see what effect that had on their mental well-being. They did yoga, took a walk with a dog, or listened to live music. Afterwards, they were asked various questions about how they felt. And, what turned out? The live music really provided a much better well-being than the other activities. After just 20 minutes of listening, the participants' well-being increased by 21 percent. With yoga, for example, it was (only) 10 percent.

How often should you go?

According to Fagan, you should actually listen to live music every two weeks to really experience the long-term effects. Now, going to a concert that often is not always possible and can also be quite expensive. But fortunately, other (simpler) ways of live music work too. You can, for example, go to a bar where a band is performing. It doesn't matter what the setting is, as long as the music is live.

Longer life

Your (mental) well-being has a significant influence on how old you will become, as previous studies show. That live music is so good for you means, according to Fagan, that it can help you live longer. Those who regularly attend a live performance could even become 9 years older. If that isn't a reason to buy those concert tickets.

Source: Virgin Media O2 and Variety