People who play tennis, badminton or squash have the lowest risk of dying, according to a new study. The study involved more than 80,000 adults and tracked them for almost 10 years in order to come to these conclusions on the benefits of racket sports.
Tennis And Swimming - The Best Results
The study, published on Nov. 29 in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, analyzed data from people who took part in the Health Survey for England or the Scottish Health Survey that were carried out between 1994 and 2008. The survey participants, whose average age was 52, explained what sports they like to practice and how their physical training looks like.
The research found that people who played racket sports are 47 percent less likely to die of any possible cause than their sedentary counterparts, as well as 59 percent less likely to die because of a cardiovascular disease.
However, presuming that these sports don't appeal to you too much, you can always take swimming lessons. While every sport has its short- and long-term benefits, people who swim were found to be 28 percent less likely to die of any reason and 41 percent less likely to die of cardiovascular disease, compared to people who do not practice this physical activity.
Another type of activity that also prevents people from developing health issues is fitness - anything from aerobics to Zumba can help boost the metabolism and, all in all, the entire performance of the body. People who do fitness are found to be 27 percent less likely to die of any cause and 36 percent less likely to die because of a cardiovascular disease.
All Sports Prolong Life
"These findings demonstrate that participation in specific sports may have significant benefits for public health. Future research should aim to further strengthen the sport-specific epidemiological evidence base and understanding of how to promote greater sports participation," states the study.
In order for the study to reach these conclusions, a series of factors were taken into consideration when calculating the odds of better health due to sports. Among these factors, the body mass index, psychological and physical health conditions, education, drinking and smoking habits were the most important.
While there are significant differences between our bodies' reactions to different sports, what was clear after this study is that there is an undeniable difference between the mortality rates of people who do sports and those who don't. According to the researchers, those who do sports - any sport - are about 28 percent less likely to die than those who don't exercise at all.
