Neither jogging nor cycling: This surprising sport increases life expectancy by several years, according to studies

The right sport: Did you know that there are sports that can apparently prolong our lives?

A healthy lifestyle includes several things: a balanced diet, restful sleep—and, of course, exercise. Exercise is also constantly praised for its positive qualities, and rightly so. But what many people don't realize is that some of them are better for your health than others. Swimming, for example, is considered particularly good for thebrain , but there's another sport practiced on land that is even said to lead to a longer life.

Racket sports rank high on the list of sports that are said to prolong life. Just look at the performance of 61-year-old Chinese player Ni Xia Lian at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. The table tennis player holds the record for being the oldest player to win a table tennis match at the Olympic Games, despite 40 years of success in the sport. The two-time world champion from 1983 has lost none of her strength. Another example of this theory is Zeng Zhiying, another table tennis player who competed in her first Olympic Games at the age of 58. Table tennis is an excellentcardiovascular workout that mobilizes the entire body and promises years of good health.

Furthermore, several studies demonstrate the positive effects of racket sports on life expectancy. One study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, was conducted over a nine-year period on over 80,000 adults and compared the effects of different physical activities. It concluded that those who regularly practiced a racket sport reduced their risk of death by 47% compared to those who were inactive. This is almost 20% more than swimming, which comes in second at 28%. The risk of dying from cardiovascular disease (stroke, heart attack, etc.) fell by 56%. Swimming reduces this risk by 41%, and fitness training by 36%.

Tennis can increase life expectancy by almost 10 years

Among racket sports, tennis is the healthiest. Research shows that tennis players increase their life expectancy by an average of almost 10 years—9.7 years, to be exact! In second place? Badminton, at 6.2 years. Soccer is third with an average of 4.7 years, followed by cycling at 3.7 years and swimming at 3.4 years.

What are the benefits of racket sports?

But how can this be explained? Racket sports involve both aerobic and anaerobic activities, combining all the benefits of both with endurance training and short, intense periods of intensity. This makes tennis an excellent workout for cardiovascular health. Tennis, squash, and table tennis, in addition to the obvious cardiovascular workout, also improve physical and cognitive abilities . Physical and mental coordination improves balance and agility, reflexes, concentration, and mental alertness. All the body's muscles are mobilized: thighs, back, shoulders, arms, abdominal muscles, etc. This helps maintain muscle mass and strength over the long term. Racket sports burn a lot of energy, helping you maintain a healthy weight. For example, a tennis match can burn 400 to 600 calories per hour.

Another benefit, regularly cited by Dan Buettner, the longevity expert who has spent his life studying the blue zones populated by centenarians, is that racquet sports are social sports . Human contact and social interactions lead to longevity, as all studies on the subject clearly demonstrate.

Tennis, squash, table tennis – which is the right sport for you?

All three racket sports promote physical and cognitive health, but in different ways. You can decide for yourself which sport is best for you based on the following points.

tennis

Tennis combines intense physical movement with tactical thinking. This requires coordination, responsiveness, speed, and endurance. Depending on whether singles or doubles are being played, the court can range in size from 195 to 260 square meters. This allows for the greatest amount of space for movement on the spacious court, high running intensity, and therefore more time to react.

squash

Squash is considered one of the most intense racket sports. The court here is only 62.4 square meters for both singles and doubles. Therefore, the movements in squash are relatively short but very intense, with many changes of direction in short intervals. This not only promotes endurance but also explosive power andagility . Due to the small court, the strain on the joints is greater than in tennis or table tennis, and the risk of injury is also higher.

table tennis

Although it uniquely trains speed, coordination, reflexes, and mental fitness, table tennis is often underestimated as a sport. Because it has the smallest playing area of ​​the three racket sports (4.18 square meters per table), table tennis is the least noisy, but it demands the most reaction time and precision when hitting. Table tennis is particularly suitable for older people who want to stay active, as it doesn't place as much strain on the joints as the other two sports.