Key Takeaways
- Tennis and racquet sports consistently show the strongest links to longevity, adding up to a decade of extra life expectancy.
- Sports that combine aerobic fitness with social interaction, like soccer and badminton, also provide substantial benefits.
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Some sports, particularly those with extreme physical demands, show neutral or even negative associations with lifespan.
Did you know tennis players may live nearly ten years longer than people who don’t play sports at all? That’s not a bold marketing claim, it’s supported by long-term scientific research published in peer-reviewed journals. Scientists have been fascinated by why some sports seem to add years to our lives, while others barely make a difference. The answer lies in the unique blend of physical activity, mental stimulation, and social engagement each sport provides.
In this blog, you’ll discover which sports top the charts for extending lifespan, what the science says about them, and why some activities fall short despite their popularity.
Racquet Sports: Tennis, Badminton, and Squash
When it comes to longevity, racquet sports stand head and shoulders above the rest. A 2016 study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine tracked over 80,000 British adults and found racquet sports were associated with a 47% lower risk of death from all causes and a 56% lower risk of cardiovascular death (R).
Even more striking, a 2018 Danish cohort study published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings followed 8,500 adults for nearly 25 years. It found that tennis players lived, on average, 9.7 years longer than their sedentary peers. Badminton came in second with a 6.2-year increase, while squash and other racquet sports also showed strong effects (R).
Why are racquet sports so powerful? Researchers suggest it’s the mix of vigorous bursts of activity, quick reflexes, and constant social engagement. Unlike solitary workouts, a game of tennis requires interaction, strategy, and sustained focus—all factors linked to healthy ageing.
Team Sports: Soccer, Cycling, and Swimming
Not everyone is drawn to racquet sports, and the good news is that other activities also contribute meaningfully to longer life. The same Copenhagen study found that:
Soccer added 4.7 years to lifespan. Cycling added 3.7 years. Swimming added 3.4 years.
What makes these sports beneficial is their aerobic endurance. Soccer combines cardiovascular conditioning with social dynamics, while cycling and swimming provide full-body workouts that improve heart and lung health (R).
Interestingly, while cycling and swimming are excellent for fitness, they lack the strong social dimension of tennis or soccer, which may explain the smaller—but still significant—lifespan benefits.
Gymnastics, Pole Vaulting, and Athletic Training
Beyond popular recreational sports, data also highlights benefits for specific athletic disciplines. A 2024 study in GeroScience examining former elite athletes found that pole vaulting added an average of 8.4 years to male athletes’ lives, while gymnastics added 8.2 years (R).
These findings underline the importance of mixed training: flexibility, strength, coordination, and cardiovascular endurance. Sports that combine diverse movement patterns appear to provide long-lasting health advantages, even decades after athletes retire.
Golf and Rowing: Surprising Contenders
Golf often surprises people in discussions of longevity. While it may not seem as vigorous as tennis or soccer, studies suggest golfers also enjoy longer-than-average lifespans. Research in the Journal of Nutritional Science reported that elite golfers often live into their 90s, aided by a combination of light aerobic activity, walking in green environments, and social interaction (R).
Similarly, rowing has shown consistent associations with longevity. A landmark 1972 study published in JAMA examined 172 former varsity college rowers and found that they lived significantly longer than randomly selected peers. This extended lifespan was not explained by height, social class, or education, suggesting that the physical demands and cardiovascular benefits of rowing may offer long-term protective effects (R).
When Sports Can Harm Longevity
Not all sports are linked to longer lives. In fact, some have neutral—or even negative—associations. For example, a 1995 study found that sumo wrestlers had significantly higher mortality rates than the general Japanese male population, particularly between the ages of 35 and 74. This reduced lifespan is likely driven by a combination of high body mass, extreme caloric intake, and chronic stress on the cardiovascular system (R).
Volleyball and handball also showed minimal or negative effects in male athletes. Researchers suggest these findings may relate to injury rates and the short-lived careers of athletes in these sports, which may offset long-term health benefits (R).
Why Social and Aerobic Sports Outperform Others
When researchers compare sports, a clear pattern emerges: those that combine aerobic intensity with social interaction consistently deliver the strongest longevity benefits. Tennis and soccer are prime examples, where players not only push their cardiovascular system but also engage in teamwork, strategy, and conversation.
This combination combats both physical decline and social isolation, two of the strongest predictors of premature mortality in older adults (R). Meanwhile, solitary gym-based activities—like treadmill running or elliptical workouts—while beneficial, tend to show smaller gains, adding only 1–2 years of life expectancy in long-term studies (R).
Key Lessons for Healthy Ageing
So, what does this mean for you? The science suggests that if you want to add quality years to your life, pick a sport that’s active and social. Even if you’re not a tennis pro, playing doubles on the weekend or joining a local badminton group may do more for your health than hours alone on the treadmill.
The best sport for you is the one you enjoy and can sustain long-term. But if your goal is longevity, prioritising activities with both aerobic demand and community engagement may provide the biggest return on investment.
Want to learn more about the benefits of racquet sports? Read our next blog here.
