Everyone knows exercise is healthy, and playing sports is one of the best — and most fun — ways to maintain a healthy weight, boost mental well-being, and improve strength, balance, and flexibility.
But what is the “healthiest” sport? It doesn’t matter what activity people choose as long as they exercise?
Contrary to conventional wisdom, it is necessary. A recent study followed more than 8,000 people for a quarter of a century to determine which activities provided the greatest health benefits. And there was a clear position: tennis.
Tennis has added 9.7 years to a player’s life. The only sport that comes close to this is badminton, which adds 6.2 years to life.
Tennis is well designed to keep your heart healthy. The high-intensity intervals of the movement will raise your heart rate, increase blood flow and strengthen cardiovascular health. Just three hours per week on the court reduces the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease by 56%, and death from all causes by 47%.
Aerobic exercise, in comparison, reduced all-cause mortality by 27 percent. Surprisingly, running and soccer had no effect on people’s risk of death.
Playing tennis is associated with higher bone mineral density in the femurs, hips, and spine. Tennis players have “significantly larger” upper body muscles than their inactive counterparts.
Even those new to the sport can reap the benefits. According to one review, “Several studies have identified better bone health in tennis players who take up the sport in mid-adulthood, not just those with a history of lifelong tennis participation.”
Tennis also improves mobility, flexibility and balance. Returning the serve or positioning yourself for an accurate volley involves the whole body. Each burst of movement — stretching, accelerating or turning — leads to improved coordination.
The confidence that comes from skillfully engaging with physical work — sometimes physical literacy — is another reason to take up the game. Eighty percent of players reported improvements in their self-esteem after taking to the court.
Tennis is also one of the few lifelong sports that can be played cheaply and conveniently. Visit any tennis court — there are nearly 250,000 nationwide — and it’s not uncommon to see people in their 70s and 80s playing.
Any exercise is better than exercise. But if people want to maximize their health, now and for decades to come, I always tell them to pick up a racket and go to their local tennis court.
Brian Hainline, MD is chairman of the board and president of the United States Tennis Association and recently transitioned from being the chief medical officer of the NCAA. He jointly chaired the International Olympic Committee consensus meetings on both Pain Management in Elite Athletes and Mental Health in Elite Athletes. Brian is a clinical professor of neurology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. This piece originally ran in the Duluth News Tribune.