Physical exercises and games are very vital in the improvement of the health and extension of one’s lifespan. But, it can be seen that the effects of various types of sports can be quite diverse in life expectancy. In general, sports are divided into two types which are strategic and contact sports. This article seeks to identify which form of sport helps in increasing the life span of an individual and elaborates on the cause of such impacts.
Strategy-Based Sports
The sports that involve strategies include tennis, swimming, golf and cycling among others; these sports involve brain, energy and body coordination. These activities are usually more related to the aspects of skill, coordination and endurance rather than combat. Here are some of the reasons why strategy-based sports are linked to longer lifespans:
Cardiovascular Health
Among the main advantages of strategy-based sports, one can single out the positive influence on the cardiovascular system. They are recommended for the general improvements of the heart muscles, regulation of high blood pressure and prevention of heart diseases. Specifically, tennis players undergo aerobic and anaerobic activities that help to build the heart muscles, thus enhancing cardio fitness. Likewise, you'll see that swimming is a good cardio workout that has the added benefit of not stressing the joints since it is a non-weight-bearing exercise.
Mental Well-being
Strategy-based sports normally involve a lot of thinking which is very useful in the preservation of the brain and prevention of mental disorders such as depression and anxiety. These sporting activities are essential in awakening the brain, thus improving problem-solving ability, memory and concentration. Some of the activities include golfing which requires one to engage the brain in strategic thinking and make accurate movements to make a shot.
Lower Injury Risk
As for the type of injuries, strategy-based sports are very less likely to cause severe ones than contact sports. Hence, there are fewer cases of injuries in activities that are participated in by people of all ages and thus participants can continue with their exercise regimen even as they grow older. Regular exercise with minimum injuries is really beneficial to the body and has a positive impact on the life span of an individual. For instance, cycling is an exercise that does not put much stress on the joints yet at the same time helps to improve heart health.
Contact-Based Sports
Contact sports are those that include direct contact with the opponent and very intense activity; these include football, rugby, boxing and martial arts. These sports entail strength, quickness and endurance as the players engage in the activities. Although they have numerous positive effects on health and have very exciting odds for viewers as well, their influence on lifespan is more ambiguous, because they are accompanied by a greater probability of injury. Here are some key factors:
Physical Fitness
It is clear that contact sports positively affect physical fitness in terms of strength, endurance and agility. Training and competitions help athletes to be fit and in good form all the time. The rigorous training that comes with these sports assists in increasing muscle tone, the rate at which the body burns calories and body strength. For example training football players; they do a lot of activities that help in enhancing their cardiac fitness and physical fitness.
Risk of Injury
However, you may very well argue that the chances of getting injuries in contact sports may really overshadow these advantages. There are cases of concussion, fractures and joint injuries which are very dangerous and have an impact on the health of an individual. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy or CTE is a disease associated with repeated trauma to the head and is a major issue among sportsmen especially those in contact sports such as football and boxing. These injuries lead to chronic pain, disability and sometimes early death which means that the gains made through physical fitness may be negated.
Stress and Recovery
Contact sports also require more physical stress due to physical contact and frequent injuries. The body takes some hours, days or weeks to repair from these stressors, thus, several damages can cause chronic diseases like arthritis and musculoskeletal ailments. The management of these chronic diseases can be difficult and may also affect the total lifespan of a person.
Comparative Studies and Findings
Several researches have been carried out on the effect of various sports on the lifespan. A major research study that happened to be published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine in 2016 looked into the impact of six types of sports on death. The analysis will show you that the specific strategy-based sports reduced the overall mortality rate from any cause.
Tennis
Tennis players were observed to have the highest reduction in the mortality risk as they had a very low death risk rate, in fact, it was 47% lower death risk than non-players. The fact that tennis is an aerobic activity that involves the mind and social skills makes it have a very positive impact on the body's health.
Swimming
Swimming also depicted a really significant decrease in the risk of mortality by 28 percent among the participants. Effective for whole-body workouts and having minimal pressure on the joints, swimming is another excellent form of exercise to improve health.
Cycling
You may also know that cycling was linked with a 15 percent reduced risk of death. Because cycling is a cardiovascular exercise and it is considered a low-impact form of exercise, this makes it very suitable for those who want to keep fit.
Reasons Behind the Differences
The differences in lifespan extension between strategy-based and contact-based sports can be attributed to several factors:
Injury Risk
The reduced chances of serious injuries in strategy-based sports really ensure that the participants can practice constantly without spending long durations of time away from the game to recover. This is because this regularity is useful for the long-term gains on the health of an individual.
Mental and Social Benefits
Mental sports are characterized by a high level of mental activity, building resilience and social interaction, which are very necessary for a person’s psychological well-being and cognitive abilities. The social aspect of sports such as tennis and golf helps in combating such feelings of loneliness and depression which are associated with diseases and early death.
Sustainable Activity
Finally, you may likely agree that tactics-based sports are very much more enduring than the ones that are based on physical prowess. Whereas, there are many actions that people can take part in even in old age, while contact sports may limit the duration of an athlete’s career due to the increased chances of incurring an injury.
