Pickleball Could Extend Your Life

Evidence shows racquet sports, like pickleball, extend life expectancy.

Researchers believe it’s because racquet sports are a full-body workout. Racquet sports also involve strategy and socializing.

Researchers found those who regularly played racquet sports reduced their risk of death by 47 percent compared to those who were inactive. (Swimming ranked a distant second, reducing the risk of death by nearly 28 percent.) Specifically, playing a racquet sport reduced the risk of dying from heart disease, such as heart attack or stroke, by 56 percent. (This compared to a 41 percent reduction in death from heart disease for swimmers and a 36 percent reduction for those who participated in other forms of exercise.)

A second study found that participants who played tennis extended their life by 9.7 years compared with those who were inactive, and people who played badminton extended their life by 6.2 years; these were the two highest-ranking activities for extending life expectancy. (Other sports also improved life expectancy over sedentary behavior: 4.7 years for soccer; 3.7 years for cycling; 3.4 years for swimming; and 3.2 years for jogging.)

Finally, racquet sports require an opponent – you can’t hit the ball back to yourself – which means they involve social interaction. The research literature on aging shows that social connections alone have benefits that extend life expectancy.‍