The quest for eternal life, usually by becoming a healthier person, is a big part of life these days. But are there sports that are beneficial and could even extend your life? Researchers seem to have identified a few sports that are good for you and your longevity.
Every day, we are faced with choices where some may choose the healthy path, while others might succumb to temptation or they simply do not care. We've had it ingrained in us since childhood that we should eat a good and balanced diet, and the same goes for the idea that an active lifestyle is good for the body, while a sedentary lifestyle is one of the most unhealthy things that we can do to ourselves.
So, what sports are not only fun but also healthy? And are there even methods that can both in the short and long term accelerate your sports and health progress?
The question of which sports extend life and can therefore be considered healthy has intrigued many researchers throughout history. Although science has provided many answers over the years, there are still many unanswered questions about the body and the mysteries it presents. A Danish study set out to shed light on this matter, and examined lifestyle, exercise habits, and other activities.
There’s no doubt that the presence of various cardiovascular diseases can significantly shorten human lifespan. Therefore, the study aimed to investigate whether there were any correlations between obesity, lack of exercise, and high blood pressure.
The conclusions in the study were interesting, to say the least. Overall, it seems that the social aspect of sports was an important component of our well-being. In particular, it appears that ball sports, especially racket sports, were common denominators for those who felt the best and lived the longest.
At the top of the list was tennis, and the study claimed that the sport could add up to 10 extra years to one’s life. The researchers concluded that there is a connection between regularly meeting others to play sports, as it provides a sense of community and a social context - while also offering exercise - and the fact that participants who played tennis generally lived longer than others in the study.
However, there were also conclusions that are more intriguing and thought-provoking, such as the finding that those who trained at the gym only lived 1.5 years longer than those who didn’t train at all, which might deflate the enthusiasm of even the most devoted gym rats.
Tennis is one of the world's biggest sports, managing to be both conservative and modern at the same time. In the world of professional tennis, we've seen many stars come and go, and the four major tennis tournaments each year attract millions of viewers. Interest is high, and so is the excitement. For those who enjoy even more excitement, there are also betting on odds to take the experience to the next level.
It is interesting that both tennis and badminton top the list, as both are racket sports. These are also sports that can be played well into old age. While tennis added nearly 10 extra years in the study, badminton offered about 6 additional years of life. Football provided almost 5 extra years and is also a ball sport.
However, it can be argued that racket sports are easier to play than football, especially for those who are older. But what all three have in common is that they are ball sports, and ball sports are often played with others. Researchers believe that the social aspect of these sports leads to stress reduction for participants, and stress is a well-known factor that can reduce quality of life. It may be that those who play ball sports also get to lend their teammates ear for issues beyond the sport itself.
This is interesting, especially if we compare the stats from weightlifting in the gym, which only added about 1.5 years to the people in the study. Perhaps the reason behind the low number is the fact that it is usually an activity done alone.
So what about running? Many - both young and old - can be seen running past our houses and apartments and through the woods - surely running should be a source of a longer life? According to the research study, running gave participants just over 3 extra years of life, which might be a bit disappointing for many runners. Running has long been perceived as a measure of whether a person is healthy, so the fact that a runner gains only 3 more years than a non-exerciser is surprising. But running is often an activity you do alone, just like those who go to the gym. Perhaps it's not the sport itself that is crucial, but rather how much social interaction and perhaps most importantly, relief you get from meeting others once a week and talking things through.
The activities of swimming and cycling are perceived as somewhat better in this study, but they still only add between 3-4 extra years to life according to the study. Common to these two is that they are also often done alone, so the factors for both running and gym workouts can be applied to these two as well. However, it can also be said that both swimming and cycling are gentler on the body compared to, for example, running and football, where the legs take a lot of strain in a way that swimming, where the body is submerged in water, does not. After all, there is a reason why people with injuries often rehabilitate in water to regain muscle strength.
So finally, what conclusions can we readers draw from this study on sports and lifespan? There is probably something to it. But as always, the best exercise is the one that actually gets done. However, we should not underestimate factors like the social aspect of training and also the importance of a social life where we can find a community and support from others whether we are on the pitch, the court, the gym - or not at all.
