Tennis professionals have a longer life expectancy according to a study that analyzed the relationship between longevity and sport
How to live longer? The secrets of longevity still remain a mystery even if the theories are many. However, new research suggests that there is one sport in particular that can help extend life by 25%. It's about tennis.
More and more research indicates that, in order to enjoy a long and healthy life, it is necessary to maintain your diet and exercise regularly.
Practicing a sport consistently offers a range of health benefits, ranging from preventing chronic diseases to strengthening bones. Now a new study, conducted in the UK, appears to have identified which types of sports promote greater longevity.
The research, carried out by Professor Les Mayhew of the City, University of London, examined data collected by the United Kingdom's Office for National Statistics from 1841 to 2020, studying the link between life expectancy and physical activity.
The data, however, concerned professionals and more specifically players of football, cricket, rugby, tennis, golf, boxing and horse racing.
The researcher noted that the best athletes lived on average 13% longer than the rest of the population but were in particular the tennis players who had alife expectancy increased by 25% compared to the rest of the population. Tennis would therefore be the best sport in terms of longevity of those who practice it.
The second sport that has increased life expectancy, according to the study, is golf. This may be due to the fact that both tennis and golf "can be played at a high level until a relatively old age".
Rugby players had a life expectancy of around 11% more than the general population while for footballers it was similar to that of the general population.
Boxers had the shortest life expectancy, living 25% less than other high-performance sportsmen.
But how does the life of a person born in the XNUMXth century compare to that of a person in the XNUMXth or XNUMXst century, given the advances in health and well-being and the overall increase in life expectancy?
The author of the study specifies:
The predicted death age for a 20-year-old man born in 1880 was 65, compared to an age of 82 for a 20-year-old man born in 1960, so this should be correct. To make sure we compare like with like, let's compare the lifespan of our sports legends with that of the general population of people born in the same year.
So commented the professor in the abstract of the study:
Although the sample sizes are not huge, the methodology is solid in finding statistically significant differences between them.
It is not the first time, among other things, that a study has highlighted the longevity benefits of tennis. We had already talked about it in a previous article: Tennis is the sport that makes you live longer. The confirmation of science
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Fonte: Research Gate
Read also:
- The 10 secrets of longevity
- Sports: because 100 minutes of physical activity a week are good for you
- Longevity in Europe: This is where people live longest
