Anyone for tennis? Turns out, it could save your life. A new study led by the University of Sydney found that those who play racquet sports have a 47 per cent lower risk of death from any cause, compared to those who don’t hit the court. Yep, that includes tennis, squash or badminton.
Getting in a game, set, match makes your heart happy, too. Racquet sport players had a 56 per cent lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease than those who did not participate.
“Our findings indicate that it’s not only how much and how often, but also what type of exercise you do that seems to make the difference,” said senior author Associate Professor Emmanuel Stamatakis from the Charles Perkins Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences and School of Public Health at the University of Sydney.
Not tops at tennis? There are other sports that have life-saving benefits. Swimmers had a 28 per cent less risk of death from any cause than non-participants and a 41 per cent less risk of death from cardiovascular disease.
It’s also great to go retro. Those who participated in aerobics had a 27 per cent less risk of death from any cause and a 36 per cent less risk of disease from cardiovascular disease, found the study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. People who are cycling up a storm have a 15 per cent lower risk of death from any cause, too. Weekend activities are so sorted!
You won’t believe what happened when I took plank breaks at work every day for a month.
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