Analysing data from adults in their 70s, 80s and 90s, researchers discovered going outside more boosted their lifespan.
For 78 year olds who ventured out every day, they were 28 per cent more likely to reach 85 than those who only went out once a week.
And a similar benefit, in the region of 26 per cent, was uncovered for those who put on their shoes everyday aged 90.
Links between longevity and leaving the house remained after mobility and medical issues, such as heart disease, were taken into account.
Getting out of the house everyday allows people to engage with the world - which Israeli researchers believe could delay aging.
Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center in Jerusalem researchers analysed data from 3,375 elderly adults to make the conclusion.
'Exciting' findings
Lead author Dr Jeremy Jacobs said: 'The simple act of getting out of the house every day propels people into engagement with the world.
'We saw similar benefits you’d expect from treating blood pressure or cholesterol with medicine. Social factors are important in the process of aging.
'We included people who had mobility difficulties, so this isn’t just about people moving their legs up and down.'
Dr Jacobs added: 'That’s quite exciting. There’s something about interacting with the world outside that helps.'
How was the study carried out?
The volunteers were either 70, 78, 85 or 90 years old and they were asked about how often they left the house.
If they ventured out into the world around them six or seven days a week, they were placed in the 'frequently' group.
Between two and five days saw them landed in the 'often' group and any less than that amount saw them placed under the bracket of 'rarely'.
What else did they find?
The researchers found people who left home less frequently were most likely to be male, less educated and suffer from loneliness.
The study did not examine the effect on participants of leaving the house, such as their sense of wellbeing or purpose.
It also didn’t look at environmental factors that might foster or prevent going out, the authors noted in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
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