Racket sports, especially tennis, top the list of sports that increase life expectancy. Several studies show the beneficial effects of racket sports on longevity, including one conducted on over 80,000 adults over the period of nine years, published in the scientific journal British Journal of Sports Medicine, which compares the impact of different sports activities. It concludes that those who regularly play a racket sport reduced their chances of death by 47% compared to those who are not active. This is nearly 20% more than swimming, which is also a leading sport, with 28%. The possibility of dying from a cardiovascular disease (stroke, heart attack, etc.) decreases by 56%. With swimming, this risk is reduced by 41% and 36% with general fitness.
Among racket sports, the healthiest is tennis. According to scientific research, tennis players increase their life expectancy by almost 10 years on average – 9.7, to be exact. Badminton follows tennis with 6.2 years. Soccer comes in third with an average of 4.7 years, followed by cycling with 3.7 years, and swimming with 3.4 years.
But why is this? Excellent cardiovascular training, racket sports are both aerobic and anaerobic activities, therefore pairing together all the benefits of both types with endurance efforts and short, intense periods of intensity. This combination is very beneficial for the health of the heart and blood vessels. In addition to cardio, tennis, squash, and ping-pong improve physical as well as cognitive abilities. With physical and mental coordination work, they act on balance and agility, reflexes, concentration, and alertness. Meanwhile mobilizing all the muscles of the body: thighs, back, shoulders, arms, core, etc. Muscle mass and strength are thus maintained over the long term. The energy expenditure of a racket sport is high and allows you to maintain a healthy weight. For reference, 400 to 600 calories per hour can be burned during a tennis match.
Another benefit, regularly noted by Dan Buettner, the longevity expert who has studied Blue Zones populated by centenarians his entire life: racket sports are social sports. Human contact and social interaction are synonymous with longevity, as all studies on the subject highlight.
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