Forget running and swimming — study finds this sport adds 10 years to your life

While running and swimming are both fantastic ways to build cardiovascular fitness and strengthen your muscles, if you’re not a fan of either, I’ve got good news — research has found a different family of sports is key when it comes to having a long, healthy life.

According to a study published in the Journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings, which looked at 8,577 participants in Denmark, racquet sports, in particular tennis and badminton, are associated with the greatest longevity boost of any physical activity.

Tennis was thought to add up to 9.7 years of life expectancy, and badminton 6.2 years. This is compared to swimming, which added 3.4 years, and jogging, which added 3.2 years.

Recent British research supported these findings. A separate study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, tracked over 80,000 participants for nine years, comparing the impact of various sports on their overall health. The researchers concluded that people who regularly played racket sports had a 47% lower chance of all-cause mortality than those who were not physically active. This was almost 20% higher than swimming, which came second with a 28% reduction of all-cause mortality.

Racket sports were also shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, and heart attack by 56%. This is compared to swimming, which reduced the risk by 41%, and aerobics by 36%.

What are the benefits of racket sports?

Racket sports, such as tennis, badminton, squash, and pickleball, are all fantastic ways to build cardiovascular fitness. They involve constant movement, fast sprints, and constant changes of direction as you hit the ball back and forth, all of which elevate your heart rate and strengthen your heart.

If you’re looking to lose weight, the fast-paced nature of these racket sports will help you burn calories. The best way to lose weight is to ensure that you are in a calorie deficit — in other words, you’re burning more calories than you consume. The easiest way to track this is to wear one of the best fitness trackers, which will help you keep an eye on your daily movement goals.

Finally, the repetitive, weight-bearing movements in racket sports can help stimulate bone growth and density, two things that are especially important as we age.

The full-body workout can help build and maintain strong muscles, as well as improve your flexibility and mobility. What are you waiting for? Get inspired by Wimbledon and I'll see you on the court!

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