Tennis is truly a sport for a lifetime.
Nearly a decade ago I was asked by the International Tennis Federation to Chair their taskforce on the “HEALTH BENEFITS OF TENNIS”. In this role I was charged with reviewing all the global research on the health benefits of tennis and put together resources and education for the tennis governing bodies in over 200 countries. This was an outstanding project and really helped to educate tennis players, tennis administrators, government agencies and others around the benefits of tennis and how/why tennis should be a preferred exercise and health activity for individuals to life a longer and healthier life. We have so much great information about the benefits of tennis, that I thought it would be good to put together a quick summary of some articles and resources that you can share with your friends and help you share the message of the many benefits of tennis.
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT
-In many countries today’s 10 year olds are the first generation expected to have a shorter life expectancy than their parents.
Playing Tennis Regularly Can Have The Following Benefits
“People who hit the courts a few times a week in middle age may live longer. The report relied on data from 11 consecutive national health surveys, including more than 80,000 adults from England and Scotland with an average age of 52. ” – Study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine
Here is a nice article from Harvard Medical School (Harvard Health Publishing). Click Here
Tennis Makes You Happier and Healthier
Here is a summary of a USTA study I was involved that was led by the USTA Chief Medical Officer (Dr. Alexis Colvin). Click Here to read the article
Tennis has a huge impact on so many aspects of health and fitness. This has a profoundly positive effect on our heart and lungs with studies showing that playing just 3 hours a week reduces the risk of heart disease by over 50%. Furthermore, playing tennis can reduce the rate of decline of our fitness as we get older. In a study looking at 8 different sports it was identified that tennis players had the longest life expectancy, by about 10 years! Tennis is a sport for all ages, genders, sizes and expertise levels, with benefits including maintaining healthy body composition, bone health, muscle strength and balance.
Tennis Ranks Highest In Activities To Live Longer
A study published in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings, which tracked nearly 8,600 adults in Denmark over roughly a quarter century. The subjects were part of the Copenhagen City Heart Study, an ongoing examination of the lives and health of thousands of men and women in Copenhagen. Slightly more than 1,000 of the 8,600 were sedentary, and the rest were exercisers. The researchers found that tennis players had the biggest gains in life expectancy over sedentary individuals, adding 9.7 years to their lives. Badminton players came in second, with an average gain of 6.2 years. Those pastimes were followed by soccer (4.7 years), cycling (3.7 years), swimming (3.4 years), jogging (3.2 years) and low-intensity calisthenics (3.1 years).
Health club workouts, such as exercising on an elliptical trainer, using a treadmill or lifting weights, added just 1.5 years, the least beneficial result in the study.
Click here to read the summary that was published by the AARP
Some Further Readings On This Topic
Physically Speaking From The WTA: Is Tennis Good For Your Health
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