{"id":10023,"date":"2024-02-02T00:16:15","date_gmt":"2024-02-01T17:16:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=10023"},"modified":"2024-02-02T00:16:15","modified_gmt":"2024-02-01T17:16:15","slug":"best-exercise-for-longevity-why-racquet-sports-rule","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=10023","title":{"rendered":"Best Exercise for Longevity: Why Racquet Sports Rule"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"drop-cap text-big text-gray\"> <span class=\"drop-cap__first text-dropcap \">F<\/span>rom the legendary Holy Grail and the philosopher\u2019s stone\u2014both of which were said to grant eternal life\u2014to Silicon Valley tech bros paying <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gq.com\/story\/silicon-valley-young-blood\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.gq.com\/story\/silicon-valley-young-blood\">$8,000 for blood transfusions from young, healthy donors<\/a>, the quest to cheat death (or at least live longer lives) has preoccupied the human psyche for as long as we\u2019ve been on this earth. But what if I told you that there was a science-backed way to live longer that didn\u2019t require any expensive potions, dangerous quests, or flavorless fad diets? Because there is, and it\u2019s called exercise.<\/div>\n<p>Okay, don\u2019t roll your eyes. Unlike, say, intermittent fasting or other biohacking-type trends, there is a plethora of well-established research on the life-enhancing benefits of activity. We know, for example, that walking just under 4,000 steps a day can <a href=\"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/eurjpc\/article\/30\/18\/1975\/7226309\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" class=\"no-underline citation\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/eurjpc\/article\/30\/18\/1975\/7226309\"><span>drastically reduce your risk of all-cause mortalit<\/span><sup>1<\/sup><\/a>y. Same goes for regularly <a href=\"https:\/\/jamanetwork.com\/journals\/jamanetworkopen\/fullarticle\/2707428\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" class=\"no-underline citation\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/jamanetwork.com\/journals\/jamanetworkopen\/fullarticle\/2707428\"><span>engaging in cardio of any kind<\/span><sup>2<\/sup><\/a>. Even strength training (up to an hour per week) can <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/35599175\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" class=\"no-underline citation\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/35599175\/\"><span>reduce your risk of early death<\/span><sup>3<\/sup><\/a> from heart disease, cancer, and other causes. Don\u2019t have time for that? Just quick, one-minute bursts of activity can <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/one-minute-exercise-benefits\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/one-minute-exercise-benefits\/\">cut your mortality risk by 40 percent<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>While we know all about the various ways different forms of exercise can help you live longer (including how much longer), what has been <em>less<\/em> clear is if there is any particular workout that has the most longevity-boosting benefits. That is, until recently. There have been two distinct, large studies published in the past few years that have shed light on which workout is the very best for living longer. And the results just might surprise you.<\/p>\n<h2>What research says about the best exercise for longevity<\/h2>\n<p>The first study, published in December 2018 in the journal <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/30193744\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" class=\"no-underline citation\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/30193744\/\"><em>Mayo Clinic Proceedings<\/em><\/a>, looked at a data set of nearly 9000 participants over the course of 25 years. Participants completed questionnaires about their participation in different sports and activities (tennis, badminton, soccer, cycling, swimming, jogging, calisthenics and health club activities). The goal of the study was to get a better sense of how different kinds of exercise impacted life expectancy.<\/p>\n<div class=\"related-content \" style=\"\" data-module-init=\"related-content\" data-module-immediate=\"\" v-cloak=\"\">\n<div class=\"related-content__wrapper \" v-cloak=\"\" :class=\"{'is-loaded':isLoaded}\">\n<p> <span class=\"inline text-h5 text-seafoam-dark\">Related Stories<\/span> <\/p>\n<p> <related-content class=\"related-content__links\" parent-article-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/best-exercise-for-longevity\/\" current-title=\"The Surprising Workout That Will Add Almost 10 Years to Your Life, According to Science\" current-image=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/GettyImages-best-sport-for-longevity-adamkaz-425x285_418x278_true_70.webp\" v-on:parsely-posts-loaded=\"onPostsLoaded\" start-date=\"2023-08-01\" tag=\"div\" inline-template=\"\" url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/best-exercise-for-longevity\/\" secret=\"w5ztterVB03LGZJLfXS0hf3EvQBuFFIWew9hmVQxthU\" apikey=\"wellandgood.com\" limit=\"3\"> <\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"related-content__card mb-[10px] sm:mb-[20px]\" :class=\"{'related-content__card--full':posts.length === 1}\" v-for=\"(post, key) in posts\"> <a v-on:click.prevent=\"trackLinkGA($event, key)\" :href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/best-exercise-for-longevity\/post.url\" data-url-source=\"related-content\" class=\"related-content__link\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"\"> <\/p>\n<div class=\"related-content__card--image bg-tan\" :style=\"{ backgroundImage: 'url(' + post.image_url + ')' }\"> <img :src=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/best-exercise-for-longevity\/post.image_url\" :alt=\"post.title\"\/> <\/div>\n<p> <\/a>  <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> <\/related-content> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Pretty much everyone who worked out had longer lives than folks who were sedentary. But specific activities had greater lifespan gains than others. On average, tennis players lived 9.7 years longer, badminton players 6.2 years, soccer players 4.7 years, cyclers 3.7 years, swimmers 3.4 years, and joggers 3.2 years.<\/p>\n<p>The second study, published in August 2022 in <a href=\"https:\/\/jamanetwork.com\/journals\/jamanetworkopen\/fullarticle\/2795598#\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" class=\"no-underline citation\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/jamanetwork.com\/journals\/jamanetworkopen\/fullarticle\/2795598#\"><em>JAMA Network Open<\/em><\/a>, looked at a sample size of 272,550 (!) adults over the course of about 12 years. Participants shared information about the different exercises and activities they participated in, including racquet sports, golf, walking, swimming, cycling, running, and walking, including how much time was spent per week on these activities.<\/p>\n<p>The researchers found that all activities were associated with reducing overall mortality risk (aka living longer), along with the risk of cancer. Running and racquet sports in particular had the greatest impact on these two factors with the impact most pronounced at a \u201cmoderate\u201d level of activity\u2014roughly one to two hours weekly for these specific activities. The study also found that individuals who had higher levels of participation in higher intensity activities (running, swimming, aerobic activity) actually had slightly higher mortality risk compared to those with moderate participation in these activities.<\/p>\n<h2>Why are some sports linked with more life-extending benefits than others?<\/h2>\n<p>Combining all this information together, the activity with the greatest longevity benefits appears to be racquet sports (think: tennis, pickleball, badminton), followed by activities that involve running\u2014whether that\u2019s running itself or sports like soccer. As for <em>why<\/em> these activities confer so many longevity-boosting benefits, experts have a few theories.<\/p>\n<p>In the newer <em>JAMA<\/em> study, researchers hypothesized that these activities\u2019 superb longevity perks may be due to specific adaptations that occur with these sports. \u201cRunning and racquet sports are multi-dimensional activities with many components to them, including balance, strength, cardiovascular endurance, and mental engagement as well,\u201d agrees <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/relentlesshawaii\/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/relentlesshawaii\/?hl=en\">Kristina Kam, DPT<\/a>, a sports physiotherapist and fitness coach. \u201cThe published <a href=\"https:\/\/health.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/2019-09\/Physical_Activity_Guidelines_2nd_edition.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/health.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/2019-09\/Physical_Activity_Guidelines_2nd_edition.pdf\">Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans<\/a> recommends this type of multicomponent activity as the most beneficial for adults!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Basically, activities that activate many muscles and involve multiple skills (like sprinting to pass a soccer ball, or nailing the right swing for a powerful tennis serve) train the whole body to be more efficient and coordinated. Hybrid training also helps you condition multiple body systems simultaneously, which is more efficient than focusing on one in isolation. And these benefits likely translate to a longer life; a 2019 study published in <em>PLOS One <\/em>found that combining strength training with cardiovascular exercise can <a href=\"https:\/\/journals.plos.org\/plosone\/article?id=10.1371\/journal.pone.0210292#sec011\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" class=\"no-underline citation\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/journals.plos.org\/plosone\/article?id=10.1371\/journal.pone.0210292#sec011\"><span>help lower blood pressure, boost lean muscle mass<\/span><sup>6<\/sup><\/a>, and more.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Think about it like this: If you owned a car and only focused on maintaining a few parts well versus maintaining all of the parts well, which strategy would probably result in that car lasting the longest?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Further, the hand-eye coordination and bursts of energy required in racquet sports likely adds additional life-extending benefits. Hand-eye coordination (which <a href=\"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/psychsocgerontology\/article\/55\/3\/P151\/607083\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" class=\"no-underline citation\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/psychsocgerontology\/article\/55\/3\/P151\/607083\"><span>naturally deteriorates with age<\/span><sup>7<\/sup><\/a>) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.health.harvard.edu\/staying-healthy\/activities-to-sharpen-your-eyehand-coordination\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.health.harvard.edu\/staying-healthy\/activities-to-sharpen-your-eyehand-coordination\">challenges the brain<\/a> and is important in daily tasks, while intermittent bursts (which are essentially <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/hiit-training-workouts\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/hiit-training-workouts\/\">bouts of HIIT exercise<\/a>) will challenge cardiovascular fitness and really get your heart rate going.<\/p>\n<p>Think about it like this: If you owned a car and only focused on maintaining a few parts well versus maintaining all of the parts well, which strategy would probably result in that car lasting the longest? My guess is you would say the latter. Running and racquet sports help manage and maintain more parts simultaneously than other activities.<\/p>\n<p>However, the benefit of these activities isn\u2019t just physical. Researchers from the <em>Mayo Clinic Proceedings<\/em> study also noted that sports which involved more social interaction (like tennis) were associated with the most profound impact on longevity. There\u2019s extensive research on the links between social connection and support with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpsyg.2021.717164\/full\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" class=\"no-underline citation\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpsyg.2021.717164\/full\"><span>extended lifespan and health<\/span><sup>8<\/sup><\/a>, but more research is certainly needed on the specific connection between social sports and longevity. That said, we know that healthy social contact is a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/blue-zone-power-9\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/blue-zone-power-9\/\">key part of long-living Blue Zones societies<\/a>\u2026<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s important to note that living longer through exercise doesn\u2019t mean you have to push yourself constantly. As shown in the <em>JAMA<\/em> study, people who did a ton of high-intensity activities had slightly higher mortality risk compared with people who participated in those activities less often. Although the risk was only slightly elevated, \u201cit makes sense because working out at higher intensity for longer periods can lead to cumulative changes and stress in the body,\u201d says Dr. Kam. \u201cIt\u2019s all about finding the right balance!\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>How to find the best longevity-boosting workout for you<\/h2>\n<p>Generally, the principal trend seems to be that activities combining multiple physical and mental dimensions into one activity tend to have a larger impact on health and fitness. Further, it\u2019s more beneficial when done at moderate levels rather than sustained high intensity levels.<\/p>\n<p>Before you jump head first into a racquet sport or running, make sure you first have a base level of fitness so you can ease into the demands of those activities and avoid doing too much, too soon which is a common recipe for getting injured. (Translation: Ease into any new sport to get the hang of it.) This is particularly true for activities like tennis, pickleball, and soccer that involve the entire body in a multi-directional manner.<\/p>\n<p>If those are activities you\u2019re interested in, great! But if not, don\u2019t worry about it. Remember, all exercise (even walking!) has important mind-body benefits, and consistently engaging in any physical activity will help you live a longer, healthier life. In the wise words of Dr. Kam: \u201cAny activity is better than no activity when done appropriately. Pick one, pick a few and you will see health benefits.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div class=\"block-thin post-citations mt-[40px] mb-[30px]\" data-module-init=\"main-2020\/post-citations\" data-module-immediate=\"true\">\n<hr class=\"!border-seafoam-dark mb-[24px]\"\/>\n<div class=\"post-citations-content flex flex-col gap-[24px]\">\n<p>Well+Good articles reference scientific, reliable, recent, robust studies to back up the information we share. You can trust us along your wellness journey.<\/p>\n<div>\n<ol class=\"!ml-[18px] !mt-0\">\n<li>\n              Banach, Maciej et al. \u201cThe association between daily step count and all-cause and cardiovascular mortality: a meta-analysis.\u201d <em>European journal of preventive cardiology<\/em> vol. 30,18 (2023): 1975-1985. doi:10.1093\/eurjpc\/zwad229            <\/li>\n<li>\n              Mandsager, Kyle et al. \u201cAssociation of Cardiorespiratory Fitness With Long-term Mortality Among Adults Undergoing Exercise Treadmill Testing.\u201d <em>JAMA network open<\/em> vol. 1,6 e183605. 5 Oct. 2018, doi:10.1001\/jamanetworkopen.2018.3605            <\/li>\n<li>\n              Shailendra, Prathiyankara et al. \u201cResistance Training and Mortality Risk: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.\u201d <em>American journal of preventive medicine<\/em> vol. 63,2 (2022): 277-285. doi:10.1016\/j.amepre.2022.03.020            <\/li>\n<li>\n              Schnohr, Peter et al. \u201cVarious Leisure-Time Physical Activities Associated With Widely Divergent Life Expectancies: The Copenhagen City Heart Study.\u201d <em>Mayo Clinic proceedings<\/em> vol. 93,12 (2018): 1775-1785. doi:10.1016\/j.mayocp.2018.06.025            <\/li>\n<li>\n              Watts, Eleanor L et al. \u201cAssociation of Leisure Time Physical Activity Types and Risks of All-Cause, Cardiovascular, and Cancer Mortality Among Older Adults.\u201d <em>JAMA network open<\/em> vol. 5,8 e2228510. 1 Aug. 2022, doi:10.1001\/jamanetworkopen.2022.28510            <\/li>\n<li>\n              Schroeder, Elizabeth C et al. \u201cComparative effectiveness of aerobic, resistance, and combined training on cardiovascular disease risk factors: A randomized controlled trial.\u201d <em>PloS one<\/em> vol. 14,1 e0210292. 7 Jan. 2019, doi:10.1371\/journal.pone.0210292            <\/li>\n<li>\n              Guan, J, and M G Wade. \u201cThe effect of aging on adaptive eye-hand coordination.\u201d <em>The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences<\/em> vol. 55,3 (2000): P151-62. doi:10.1093\/geronb\/55.3.p151            <\/li>\n<li>\n              Vila, Jaime. \u201cSocial Support and Longevity: Meta-Analysis-Based Evidence and Psychobiological Mechanisms.\u201d <em>Frontiers in psychology<\/em> vol. 12 717164. 13 Sep. 2021, doi:10.3389\/fpsyg.2021.717164            <\/li>\n<\/ol><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<hr class=\"!border-seafoam-dark mt-[24px]\"\/>\n  <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async defer src=\"https:\/\/platform.instagram.com\/en_US\/embeds.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1675549\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>From the legendary Holy Grail and the philosopher\u2019s stone\u2014both of which were said to grant eternal life\u2014to Silicon Valley tech bros paying $8,000 for blood transfusions from young, healthy donors, the quest to cheat death (or at least live longer lives) has preoccupied the human psyche for as long as we\u2019ve been on this earth. &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":10024,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10023","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10023","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=10023"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10023\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/10024"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=10023"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=10023"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=10023"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}