Menu
Dr. Weil Logo Dr. Weil Logo Weil™ Andrew Weil, M.D.
  • Health & Wellness
    Health & Wellness
    Body, Mind & Spirit
    • Addiction
    • Allergy & Asthma
    • Autoimmune Disorders
    • Back Pain
    • Bone & Joint
    • Cancer
    • Colds & Flu
    • Dental & Oral
    • Diabetes
    • Disease & Disorders
    • Ears, Nose, & Throat
    • Feet
    • Gastrointestinal
    • Hair, Skin, & Nails
    • Headache
    • Heart
    • Insects & Parasites
    • Liver & Kidney
    • Mental Health
    • Pregnancy & Fertility
    • Respiratory
    • Sexual Health
    • Sleep Issues
    • Stress & Anxiety
    • Vision
    Balanced Living
    • Exercise & Fitness
    • Gardening
    • Healthy Home
    • Healthy Living
    • Meditation & Inspiration
    • Meet Dr. Weil
    • Pets & Pet Care
    • Technology
    • Wellness Therapies
    Health Centers
    • Aging Gracefully
    • Children
    • Condition Care Guide
    • Men
    • Women
  • Diet & Nutrition
    Diet & Nutrition
    Anti-Inflammatory Diet & Pyramid
    Anti-Inflammatory Diet Pyramid
    Cooking & Cookware
    Healthy Cooking & Cookware
    Diets & Weight Loss
    Diets & Weight Loss
    Food Safety
    Diets & Nutrition - Food Safety
    Nutrition
    healthy nutrition
    Recipes
    healthy recipes
  • Vitamins, Supplements & Herbs
    Vitamins, Supplements & Herbs
    Herbs
    herbal remedies - herbs
    Supplements & Remedies
    suppliments & remedies
    Vitamins
    ask-dr-weil_vitamins-supplements-herbs_vitamins-topnav
  • Ask Dr. Weil
  • Blogs
    Blogs
    Bulletins
    The Legacy Of Living Yes | Spontaneous Happiness | Andrew Weil, M.D.
    Health Tips
    Healthy Drinks To Start Sipping | Andrew Weil, M.D.
    Spontaneous Happiness
    blog_spontaneous-happiness_topnav
  • COVID-19
  • Dr. Weil Origins Skin Care
  • Marketplace
  • Healthy Aging
  • Podcasts
  • Meet Dr. Weil
  • Accessibility
  • Subscribe
Tennis Or Badminton Anyone?
Subscribe
Press "Enter" to search
  1. Home
  2. Blog
  3. Bulletins

Tennis Or Badminton Anyone?

tennis or badminton
1 min

Racquet sports – specifically tennis and badminton – are likely to add more years to your life than running or biking. A new study from Denmark found that, compared to people who were sedentary, playing tennis appears to add 9.7 years of life. Badminton was associated with an additional 6.2 years, and soccer added nearly five years to players lives. The researchers also found that cycling added 3.7 years to life and running added 3.2 years, again compared to the lifespans of sedentary Danes. They determined these effects from exercise among 8,600 participants in the ongoing Copenhagen City Heart Study. The investigators haven’t determined why racquet sports were linked with longer lives, but study co-author James O’Keefe Jr., M.D. a cardiologist at Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute in Kansas City, MO, suggested that the social nature of racquet and team sports may yield psychological and physiological influences on health that increase the benefits of the exercise itself.

Another possibility: tennis players may live longer because they have less life stressors – they have enough money and leisure time for the sport – not just because they play tennis. That remains to be determined by future studies, as does the theory that connecting with other people explains the longer lifespans seen among those who play racquet sports.

My take? This is certainly interesting news about playing tennis, which is a challenge at any age. Apart from the findings that tennis and other racquet sports appear to add more years to life than solitary types of exercise, tennis itself can give you a significant aerobic workout. The sport is also weight bearing and therefore good for the bones, and it promotes strength and flexibility. It can also simply be fun. If you enjoy a sport and play it regularly, you don’t need much advice about getting exercise.

Source:
Peter Schnohr et al, “Various Leisure-Time Physical Activities Associated with Widely Divergent Life Expectancies: The Copenhagen City Heart Study.” Mayo Clinic Proceedings, September 2018, DOI: doi.org/10.1016/j.maycp.2018.06.025

Also in this week’s bulletin:

  • Smoking Can Lead To Dementia
  • What Is That Nasty Smell?
  • Recipe: Bean Dip With Horse Radish

Read more tips, recipes, and insights on a wide variety of topics from Dr. Weil here.

Exercise Prescription For Aging Well
Bulletins

Exercise Prescription For Aging Well

be happy live longer
Bulletins

Be Happy – Live Longer

Dr. Weil on Healthy Aging

Start Your 14-Day Free Trial

Free Newsletters

Stay Connected With Dr. Weil

Anti-Inflammatory Diet

Follow Dr. Weil’s Food Pyramid

Get Dr Weils Newsletter Updates

Exclusive Lifestyle, Nutrition & Health Advice

Dr. Weil's FREE health living advice delivered to you!

By clicking "Subscribe," you agree to the DrWeil.com Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy. You also agree to receive emails from DrWeil.com, and you may opt out of DrWeil.com subscriptions at any time.

Trending Now

Healthy Lifestyle May Halve The Risk Of Long COVID | Dr. Weil
Bulletins

Healthy Lifestyle May Halve The Risk Of Long COVID

Mushrooms & Health: What’s The Latest? | Bulletins | Dr. Weil
Bulletins

Mushrooms & Health: What’s The Latest?

Disrupted Sleep Could Be Bad For The Heart
Bulletins

Disrupted Sleep Could Be Bad For The Heart

How Ginger Supports The Immune System | Bulletins | Dr. Weil
Bulletins

How Ginger Supports The Immune System

Get Dr Weils Newsletter Updates

Stay Connected With Dr. Weil - Get Free Newsletters Right In Your Inbox

Exclusive Lifestyle, Nutrition & Health Advice

Dr. Weil Logo Weil™ Andrew Weil, M.D.
Information
  • About Us
  • Press Information
  • Advertising
  • Contact Us
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Manage Email Subscription
Trending Articles
Healthy Lifestyle May Halve The Risk Of Long COVID | Dr. Weil
Bulletins

Healthy Lifestyle May Halve The Risk Of Long COVID

Mushrooms & Health: What’s The Latest? | Bulletins | Dr. Weil
Bulletins

Mushrooms & Health: What’s The Latest?

Daily Tips
Do You Need Vitamin K? | Health Tips | Andrew Weil, M.D.
Health Tips

Do You Need Vitamin K?

Is Cooking with Aluminum Harmful? | Andrew Weil, M.D.
Health Tips

Aluminum Cookware: What Are The Concerns?

  • Flickr
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Youtube
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram

Terms of Use | Privacy Policy

Information on this website is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional. You should not use the information on this website for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing any medication or other treatment. Any third party offering or advertising on this website does not constitute an endorsement by Andrew Weil, M.D. or Healthy Lifestyle Brands.

©Copyright2023 Healthy Lifestyle Brands, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. www.drweil.com