An international team of researchers associated by Professor Emmanuel Stamatakis from the University of Sydney conducted a study about the impact of particular sports on our health. They analyzed the data of 80,306 adults with an average age of 52 who filled out health surveys between 1994 and 2006, looking specifically at the association between the regular participation in six popular sports and premature death.
Stamatakis found out that the most consistent was an association between racquet sports and cardiovascular health. Among racquet sports player, the risk of death from any cause is 47% lower and 56% lower by cardiovascular diseases.
Stamatakis said that racquet sports are characterized by a short period of intense activity in a way that they are similar to high-intensity interval training. There's also a social interaction element which could be another protective effect for racquet sports according to BMJ.
Next to racquet sports is swimming with 28% reduced the risk of death by any cause and 41% lower from cardiovascular diseases. Swimming has unique properties. It's a whole-body exercise, and it's aerobic when done in laps and it's pleasurable.
Thirdly, Aerobics was also consistently associated with both outcomes, 27% reduction in any cause of death and 36% in death by cardiovascular disease. Aerobics also has benefits. Instructors push participants to move more vigorously, and music could motivate people to do longer exercise as cited on SMH.
Cycling reduced the risk of premature death by any cause by 15%, but the risk of cardiovascular diseases was not affected while running and football have an imperceptible percentage. This because the participants were five to six younger than the average.
Their findings indicate that it's not only how much and how often, but also the type of exercise that seems to make a difference. It does not necessarily mean that racquet sports are the best for heart health.
"The best kind of physical activity is what people enjoy doing and can do in the long term," he says. "The key thing is can they stick with it."
