Tennis is such a powerful tool for longevity that it should be prescribed, as it could reportedly add nearly 10 years of healthy life expectancy.

noli's read

This claim is inspired by the well-known Danish observational study, the Copenhagen City Heart Study (2018), which tracked over 8,500 adults for 25 years. Researchers observed that tennis players lived an average of 9.7 years longer than sedentary individuals. Nevertheless, presenting this figure as an absolute promise is an exaggeration: as this is an observational cohort study, it shows a strong association but does not prove a direct cause-and-effect relationship. Furthermore, this statistic compares tennis players to inactive people, rather than to other athletes. Tennis players often benefit from a more comfortable standard of living and healthier overall habits, which positively influence their life expectancy. On a fascinating note for well-being, the study suggests that the secret asset of racquet sports lies in their social and interactive dimension, which is essential for combating isolation. Tennis remains a superb tool for vitality, but the ten-year gain is a correlative statistical estimate and not a guaranteed mechanical effect.

the sources

1. 1Schnohr P, O'Keefe JH, Holtermann A, et al. 2018