The Missing Link to Longevity: How Hobbies Can Help You Live Longer and Healthier

Having no means of enjoyment or purpose that you pursue solely to enrich yourself is one of the fastest ways to mental health issues and poor health. We’re talking about not having hobbies.

In the past, many of us kind of felt this based on observations and understanding of the human psyche. But now we have actual large-scale research that shows us just how important having a hobby is for our health.

In fact, one of the most impactful, modifiable behaviors we have to increase longevity and quality of our lives.

New Research On Hobbies And Longevity

Researchers from University College London and Peking University analyzed data from 79,464 adults aged 50 and older across 19 countries, including the U.S., England, and parts of Europe and Asia.

Participants were asked a simple question: Do you engage in a hobby?

What’s interesting is that this could essentially include any activity a person engages in, not just sports. For example;

• Reading
• Painting
• Gardening 
• Playing music
• Card playing
• Arts and Crafts

Researchers then tracked mortality data for up to 12 years.

The results were striking:

• Those who engaged in hobbies had a 29% lower risk of all-cause mortality compared to those who didn’t.
• In some countries, such as Sweden, it has been shown that hobby engagement is associated with up to one additional year of life expectancy over a five-year period.
• The benefit was strongest among people over 65 and married individuals, suggesting social and emotional components are part of the equation.
• Those with sustained, long-term hobbies had 55% lower risk of death compared to those without
• Even starting hobbies late in life, i.e., 60 years old, reduced the risk of death by 38% 

What was even more surprising was that quitting wiped out the gains, and people who stopped their hobby saw mortality risk return to baseline. This suggests a direct impact on longevity.

As this applies to all hobbies, not just athletics, it suggests a powerful connection to the need for social connections and overall purpose in life.

More The Positive Health And Well-being Benefits Of Hobbies 

This isn’t the first study to make this association. In fact, research on this topic has increased relatively recently. While there are numerous studies, here are 3.

1. Improve Mental Health and Well-Being. In 2025, Cleary and associates concluded that hobbies improve mental health and well-being.

“offers a break from daily stressors and fosters a sense of purpose and fulfillment…They bring passion, enjoyment, creativity, satisfaction, and interest into our lives.”

2. May Help Prevent Physician Burnout. In 2023, LI and associates found associations between physicians who had hobbies and those who didn’t with the rate of burnout. Now, they do note that this is not a casualty, but it reinforces the idea that we need more in life than simply work.

3. Improved Cognition. In 2025, Huang and associates found that involvement in hobbies improved both objective and subjective cognitive functions, such as cognitive function and self-rated memory.

What’s really interesting about this research is that it accounted for cultural differences, finding that they accounted for just 8% of the variance. This means that having hobbies is a need that’s intrinsically human in nature, just like exercise and physical activity.

Why Hobbies Protect Your Health

It’s too easy to dismiss hobbies as “nice-to-have”; something for retirees or the creatively inclined. We’ve all been guilty of brushing them off, as if they’re not important.

However, these studies clearly demonstrate the risk associated with not having one on psychological well-being and its related biological consequences.

Reviewing the research above, here’s how hobby engagement may help you live longer:

1. It lowers stress and inflammation

Hobbies, particularly those that require focus or creativity, serve as a form of mindfulness. Studies show this can affect mechanisms that directly tie to longevity, such as;

• Lower cortisol
• Reduce blood pressure
• Improve parasympathetic nervous system activity 

Chronic stress, by contrast, accelerates inflammation and cellular aging.

2. It protects your brain

Learning new skills or practicing creative tasks strengthens neuroplasticity. It keeps various chemicals and hormones at high levels, such as;

• Dopamine
• Serotonin
• BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor)

All of these are linked to better cognition and slower neurodegeneration.

3. It reinforces social bonds

Group hobbies obviously promote community and reduce loneliness, a mortality risk comparable to smoking.

This is especially important in the modern age, with the ever-increasing role of technology and feelings of loneliness. Hobbies provide that connection.

4. It gives life structure and meaning

Purpose is one of the most consistent predictors of longevity. Waking up with nothing to do and no goals can be very depressing, leading to health issues. This is one of the reasons that any hobby appears beneficial, as it provides purpose.

Hobbies provide daily direction and reward, giving the brain a regular dose of intrinsic motivation, something that can’t be replaced by passive entertainment.

We can’t underestimate this, especially as we get older. Waking up with no reason or purpose quickly evolves into depression and worse.

5. It encourages healthy spillover habits

People who stay active in hobbies are more likely to move, eat well, and maintain a positive daily rhythm. It’s not that all hobbies directly “burn calories,” but they generally help create a lifestyle environment that favors long-term health.

The Importance of Consistency And Longevity

Similar to lifting weights, consistency trumps intensity when it comes to having hobbies. One of the cruel truths of life is that we don’t hold onto the benefits of past healthy behavior.

The health benefits from a hobby only help if you keep at it. Sustained engagement showed the strongest link to longevity, while stopping erased nearly all benefits.

Whether you’re lifting weights or painting landscapes, the physiological reward lies in rhythm and repetition, not occasional effort.

How to Use This Research in Real Life

1. Pick Something You Enjoy. The key is long-term, so your hobby should be something you genuinely enjoy. It’s something that you should look forward to, not something you need to be convinced to do.

The brain’s reward system needs genuine interest. Don’t choose chess because it’s good for memory; choose it because you love strategy.

2. Ideally, Include Movement. While the study did indicate that any hobby can benefit you, ideally, you should find an activity that suits you. This doesn’t need to be intense or athletic, but simply movement. 

For example, activities such as shelling or treasure hunting with metal detectors are very popular on Florida beaches. Other examples include photography and bird watching.

You may not initially think of these as “movement,” but you’re out at the beach or on trails, walking in the sand and water. Sounds like a lot of fun, actually!

3. Go Social If Possible. Again, not necessary, but ideally, you have a social aspect. Get creative!

For example, using the shelling and photography examples above. Some people collect shells to create various arts and crafts, or learn photo editing to enhance their wilderness photos. They will then sell them at local weekend markets.

Not only are you getting out and seeing other vendor friends, you’re talking to the community and putting some cash in your pocket!

But to be clear, making money shouldn’t be your primary goal in this situation, but rather a little cherry on top. Regardless, shared hobbies serve as a double-edged sword, amplifying both social engagement and longevity effects. 

4. Treat Your Hobbies As More Than Hobbies. Sometimes, the term “hobby” can be misconstrued as not important, i.e., “It’s just a hobby”. In reality, a hobby can be your passion. 

Surfers probably portray this relationship the best when they speak; that’s how you need to feel about your hobby. It shouldn’t take away from family, work, or responsibilities, but your hobby shouldn’t be something you only do “if I get around to it”.

Hobbies Are Health

This is highly interesting research that needs to be shared. That’s because with hobbies, you have them or you don’t. You receive their benefits or you don’t.

Now that we’re finally seeing research that backs up what many of us have intrinsically known, it’s time to start taking it seriously. And let’s be honest, hobbies are fun, so this is your excuse to let more fun into your life!

References

1. Cleary, M., Le Lagadec, D., Thapa, D. K., & Kornhaber, R. (2025). Exploring the Impact of Hobbies on Mental Health and Well-Being: A Scoping Review. Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 46(8), 804–814. https://doi.org/10.1080/01612840.2025.2512006 
2. Guo, Y., Zhao, Q., & Xu, J. (2025). Hobby engagement and all-cause and cause-specific mortality risk among people aged 50 years and older in 19 countries. BMC Medicine, 23, 187. PMCID: PMC12208283
3. Huang, W., Xiao, Q., Li, Z., Chen, Y., Wang, X., & Liu, Q. (2025). Positive association between hobby participation and objective and subjective cognition among adults aged 50 years and over in 24 countries. Social science & medicine (1982), 383, 118487. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2025.118487 
4. Li, Y., Lai, C. Y., Friedrich, B., & Liu, C. (2023). The association of hobbies and leisure activities with physician burnout and disengagement. Journal of Wellness, 5(1). https://doi.org/10.55504/2578-9333.1160