We all know it: working out on a regular basis can do wonders for your health. Physical exercise is one of the key aspects of a healthy life. Yet not all sports are created equally when it comes to actual benefits.
Generally speaking, health practicians advise getting at least 150 minutes of aerobic moderate exercise or 75 minutes of intensive exercise per week. Whether you opt to get all your physical exercise in one sitting or to spread it over several days is up to you.
When it comes to particular sports, it goes to say that exercising in any sport is better than doing nothing at all. And even if you don’t manage to squeeze in the recommended number of minutes per week, walking just 30 minutes on a Sunday morning is still better for your health than spending those 30 minutes sitting on your couch. However, some kinds of exercise are considered to be better for your overall health than others and they could even add years to your life expectancy.
According to a Danish study published in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings, social sports in particular seem to increase our life expectancy. As the research was purely observational, the exact reasons behind this need further exploration, although those connected to the research have done some educated guessing.
The study followed over 8,500 individuals for 25 years and identified the 5 best sports for increasing life expectancy.
| Sport | Increase in life expectancy |
|---|---|
| Tennis | +9.7 years |
| Badminton | +6.2 years |
| Football | +4.7 years |
| Cycling | +3.7 years |
| Swimming | +3.4 years |
“We know from other research that social support provides stress mitigation. So being with other people, playing and interacting with them, as you do when you play games that require a partner or a team, probably has unique psychological and physiological effects. Raising your heart rate is important for your health, but it looks like connecting with other people is, too,” Dr. James O’Keefe, study co-author, told The New York Times.
A study from 2020 also emphasises the importance of the social aspect of sports. According to the researchers, not only does exercising with others make it easier to keep going but participants were also more likely to be alive 14 years later. Overall, physical exercise aside, strong social connections are considered to be an essential part of a long and healthy life, lowering the risks of dementia, heart disease, and stroke amongst others.
