Keep Playing Tennis – For Longevity

According to a new study in Mayo Clinic Proceedings, researchers looked at over 8,500 participants’ sports and leisure activities over the course of 25 years. There were seven exercises that scientists found were consistently tied to people who lived an average of three to almost ten years longer. Those activities included:

Researchers are still looking at the exact link between these exercises and overall health since the data they received was self-reported. But they generally found that activities that were more social in nature, like tennis, badminton, or soccer, tended to be connected to longer lifespans.

Previous studies also back up this claim that the more social you are — and the more social your exercise regimen — the longer you’ll live due to the importance of interaction with others for overall health and wellbeing. Get off the Couch and on to the court!