Superage - If your goal is to stay as healthy, active, and engaged for as long as possible, you might want to pick up a racquet. Research over the past few years has found that racquet sports are likely more beneficial to longevity and healthspan than other forms of exercise.
The first large study to report on this phenomenon was the Copenhagen City Heart Study, which after following more than 8,500 people for 25 years, concluded that people who regularly played racquet sports increased their lifespan by almost a decade longer than sedentary people. Tennis players fared the best, living an average 9.7 years more, while badminton players increased their lives by 6.2 years. By comparison, those who exercised alone experienced milder increases in lifespan: cycling (3.7 years), swimming (3.4), jogging (3.2), and working out at the gym (1.5).
The study authors surmised that the social nature of these sports is key to their longevity benefits, a theory that’s widely supported.
In a 2025 review, researchers concluded that in addition to racquet sports’ physical benefits, namely improved cardiovascular function and musculoskeletal health, their interactive nature offers “crucial mental health benefits.” And specifically, by fostering social connection, they prevent loneliness and depression.
Meanwhile, other studies have found that adults over age 50 who participate in group sports are more likely to remain active, and that people who exercise with others tend to go longer, feel more committed and motivated, and enjoy it more.
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