Everyone knows that a night at the theater can make you feel younger, but a new study suggests it might actually be true - at least in the sense that your body's internal clock slows down a bit.

Researchers from the Institute of Science Tokyo analyzed data from nearly 1,900 adults in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, measuring 10 physiological markers like blood pressure, grip strength, and walking speed. They found that people who regularly attended cultural events - movies, museums, concerts, the opera - had a physiological age about three years younger than those who didn't.

Specifically, participants who engaged in cultural activities at least every few months had an average physiological age of 66.9 years, compared to 69.9 years for the less culturally inclined. Each one-point increase in a cultural engagement score (ranging from 0 to 15) was linked to a 31-day reduction in physiological age.

The study, published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, controlled for factors like income and chronic conditions, but the authors caution that correlation isn't causation. It could be that healthier people simply go out more. Still, they argue that cultural engagement is a modifiable behavior that could rival frequent physical activity in its anti-aging effects.

So the next time someone calls you a couch potato for binge-watching Netflix, tell them you're actually investing in your physiological youth. Just make sure you actually leave the house once in a while.