The next time you're debating on whether or not to splurge on concert tickets, science says you should do it for your health. According to a recent study [1] conducted by UK music and entertainment venue O2 and Goldsmith's University associate lecturer Patrick Fagan, attending shows regularly can boost your life expectancy [2] by a staggering nine years. If that wasn't interesting enough, results also found that just 20 minutes of live entertainment increased "feelings of wellbeing" by 21 percent — over double the effects of yoga [3] (10 percent increase) and three times as much from dog walking (seven percent increase).

The study compared psychometric and heartrate test results between concert-going, yoga, and dog walking. Overall, going to gigs proved to be far more beneficial to one's health than the other two activities. "Feelings of wellbeing" were measured by happiness markers, including feelings of self-worth (up 25 percent), closeness to others (up 25 percent), and mental stimulation (75 percent). Researchers also made the distinction that listening to music alone isn't enough to make an impact. There's something about sharing a live-music experience with others that's key to producing these positive results.

Additional research that showed the direct correlation between high levels of wellbeing and longevity further confirmed the connection between concert attendance and a longer life. So if you want to stick around for nearly a decade longer, hit up that next show!