While many think of walking as a great exercise to keep you active, even as you get older, experts have found that tennis is also a great choice for healthy aging.
Americans should get a mix of aerobic activity and strength-training each week.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends adults get 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, such as walking fast or playing doubles tennis, and at least 2 days of muscle-strengthening activity, including lifting weights or yoga, each week.
These recommendations can feel overwhelming, especially as you age, and some activities become more difficult, but it may be as simple as taking a swing on the tennis court.
While many think of walking as a great exercise to keep you active, even as you get older, experts have found that tennis is also a great choice for healthy aging (Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images)
Benefits of tennis
A study from Denmark published in December 2018 found that playing tennis increases your life expectancy by nearly 10 years compared with sedentary people. This is longer than those who play soccer, cycle, go swim or go jogging, according to the study.
Another study from the United States published in August 2022 found that seven-and-a-half to less than 15 metabolic equivalent hours-per-week of racket sports and running were linked to a lower risk of death than walking, other aerobic activity, golf, swimming or cycling.
How tennis helps with physical fitness
Experts recently revealed to The New York Times why tennis is such a great workout for improving longevity.
Steven Moore, a metabolic epidemiologist at the National Cancer Institute, said that the quick changes in direction you make while moving around the court can help improve balance and reduce the risk of falls.
Falls are the leading cause of injury for Americans aged 65 years and older, according to the CDC. The agency said one in four older adults reports falling each year.
Moore also said research suggests that playing tennis can improve bone density. The greater bone density you have, the stronger your bones tend to be, meaning they are less likely to break, according to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.
Tennis has physical, cognitive and social benefits that could improve longevity (Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
The cognitive and social benefits of tennis
Sports scientist and tennis coach Mark Kovacs told the NYT that tennis can also work out your cognitive and social skills.
A 2023 report from the U.S. Surgeon General found that data across 148 studies suggest that social connections increase the odds of survival by 50 percent. The report also said a lack of social connection is as dangerous as smoking up to 15 cigarettes per day.
More than 7 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. One in three older Americans dies with Alzheimer’s or another dementia, making it more lethal than breast cancer and prostate cancer combined, the association says.
The association said in a March 2024 fact sheet that cognitive engagement is one way you may reduce the risk of cognitive decline.