Forget the gym – a 20-minute “cultural workout” in front of original masterpieces calms the body faster than you think.
A groundbreaking King’s College London study put 50 people in front of real 19th-century masterpieces by Manet, Van Gogh, Gauguin and Toulouse-Lautrec at the Courtauld Gallery. Another group saw identical reproductions in a lab.
The results were stunning:
- In the real gallery: cortisol (stress hormone) dropped 22 %
- Inflammatory markers linked to heart disease, diabetes and depression fell up to 30 %
- Heart rate and skin temperature showed instant relaxation and engagement
- The reproduction group? Zero change.
Lead researcher Dr Tony Woods called the difference “enormous” and a potential gift to the NHS: “This is prevention medicine. Art keeps people out of hospitals.”
Why originals matter?
Standing in front of the actual brushstrokes, textures and colours triggers something screens and posters simply can’t. Actor and art lover Russell Tovey (Talk Art podcast) put it perfectly while staring at Van Gogh’s Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear: “You think about his life, the scale, the colour – all those questions reveal the painting.”
Social prescribing gets a boost
Over 1.5 million Brits already access social prescribing, which can include gallery visits. NHS England wants it available to everyone. With these findings, doctors may soon prescribe “three gallery visits a week” alongside “five-a-day”.
Art Fund director Jenny Waldman: “Museums were built centuries ago because people believed art was good for us. Now science finally proves they were right.”
Visitors agree. Ten-year-old Charlie said the paintings “make me feel calm and draw me in”. Arts student Taeseok from Amsterdam added: “Everything else stops mattering – it’s just you and the artwork.”
So next time you skip the gym, head to a gallery instead. Your body – and mind – will thank you.
Source: SkyNews
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