If you’ve spent any time in fitness circles, you’ve probably heard the claim: playing tennis can
add nearly a decade to your life. It’s an eye-catching statistic—almost too good to ignore.
Compared to running, gym workouts, or cycling, tennis seems to come out on top by a wide
margin.
This idea largely stems from long-term observational research, such as the Copenhagen
City Heart Study, which tracked thousands of people over decades.1 According to its findings,
tennis players lived significantly longer than those who didn’t exercise, or even those who chose
other forms of activity.
But here’s where things get interesting: when you look closer, the story becomes less about
tennis itself and more about how the sport is played—and who tends to play it. Suddenly,
badminton starts looking just as compelling. So do other sports that combine movement,
interaction, and sustainability. The real takeaway? It’s not about finding the “perfect” sport. It’s
about finding one you’ll actually stick with—ideally, with other people.
What the Data Actually Shows
The numbers behind this claim are hard to ignore—and they’re a big reason tennis often gets
labeled as the “best” sport for longevity. At first glance, the data seem straightforward: some
activities are linked to longer life expectancy than others. These insights come from long-term
observational studies that track people’s habits over time and compare health outcomes across
different activities. When the results are placed side by side, the differences can look
surprisingly significant.
Based on this data, average life expectancy gains by sport look something like this:
| Sport | Estimated Life Expectancy Gain |
| Tennis | ~+9.7 years |
| Badminton | ~+6.2 years |
| Soccer | ~+4.7 years |
| Cycling | ~+3.7 years |
| Jogging/Gym | ~+3 years or less |
At first glance, tennis seems like the clear winner. But badminton—a sport that rarely gets the same attention—comes in surprisingly strong. And soccer, often seen as purely recreational, still offers meaningful benefits.
However, it’s crucial to understand what this data actually represents. These are correlations, not proof of cause and effect.2 People who play tennis regularly may also have other advantages, such as better access to healthcare, higher income, more leisure time, or a healthier overall lifestyle. In other words, the sport itself might not be the full story.
Tennis vs Badminton
Tennis has a certain prestige. It’s often associated with structured clubs, coaching, and long-term participation. Matches can be physically demanding, combining bursts of sprinting with endurance and coordination. It’s also highly social—most people play doubles or practice with partners. But badminton deserves a closer look.
For one, it’s far more accessible. You don’t need a full court, expensive gear, or exclusive memberships. A simple setup—sometimes even in a backyard—is enough to get started. That significantly lowers the barrier to entry.
Badminton is also lower-impact. While still fast-paced and reactive, it places less strain on joints than tennis, which can involve repetitive, high-impact movements. This makes it easier to sustain over the long term, especially as people age.
Sustainability matters more than intensity. A slightly “less optimal” sport that you play consistently for 20 years will always outperform a “perfect” one you quit after six months. So while tennis might edge ahead in raw numbers, badminton may win in real-world practicality—and long-term adherence.
Why These Sports Increase Longevity
If it’s not just about the sport itself, what actually explains the strong link between activities like tennis or badminton and longer life expectancy? The answer lies in what these sports consistently provide, rather than the specific movements they involve. They combine physical activity with interaction, variety, and mental engagement—making them easier to stick with over time and more effective in the long run.
Instead of focusing on which sport is “best,” it’s more useful to understand the underlying factors that drive these benefits—because those can be applied to many other activities as well.
Three key factors stand out:
1. Social Interaction
Both tennis and badminton are inherently social. You need a partner or opponent, which creates regular opportunities for connection. This matters more than most people realize—social isolation has been linked to increased mortality risk, comparable to smoking or obesity.3
Regular interaction builds accountability, too. You’re more likely to show up when someone else is expecting you.
2. Intermittent Intensity
These sports involve short bursts of high effort followed by recovery periods. This “stop-start” pattern is similar to high-intensity interval training (HIIT), which is known to improve cardiovascular health, metabolism, and endurance.4 Unlike steady-state jogging, it keeps both the body and mind engaged.
3. Cognitive Engagement
Racket sports require strategy, coordination, and quick decision-making. You’re constantly reading your opponent, adjusting your positioning, and reacting in real time.This mental stimulation may contribute to better brain health over time, potentially reducing the risk of cognitive decline.5 Put together, these elements create a powerful combination: physical activity, mental challenge, and social connection—all in one.
The Hidden Bias Problem
There’s a catch, though—and it’s an important one. Studies like the Copenhagen City Heart Study are observational. That means they track behavior and outcomes, but they don’t control every variable.
Tennis players, for example, often come from higher socioeconomic backgrounds. They may have better access to nutrition, healthcare, and safer living environments. They might also have more flexible schedules that allow for regular exercise.
This is known as “healthy user bias.”6 People who engage in certain activities tend to be healthier to begin with.
So while the data shows a strong association between tennis and longevity, it doesn’t prove that tennis itself is the cause. The same could apply—perhaps even more so—to badminton or other social sports.
What Matters More Than the Sport
If you strip away the noise, conflicting headlines, and “best workout” debates, a much clearer—and more practical—picture emerges. Longevity isn’t about discovering a hidden, superior sport that magically adds years to your life. It’s about choosing an activity that fits seamlessly into your lifestyle and that you can maintain not just for weeks or months, but for years.
In reality, the benefits associated with sports like tennis or badminton tend to come from how they’re practiced rather than the sport itself. When you look closely, the people who gain the most are those who engage regularly, enjoy the process, and integrate movement into their social lives.
Instead of asking “Which sport is best?” a better question is:
“Which sport can I realistically sustain long-term?”
Here are the factors that matter far more than the specific activity you choose:
- Consistency
Can you do it multiple times per week—without relying on bursts of motivation?
Consistency is the single most powerful driver of long-term health benefits.7 A 30–60-minute session, done three to four times a week over many years, compounds into significant cardiovascular, metabolic, and mental health gains. Sporadic, high-effort workouts can’t replicate this effect.
- Enjoyment
Do you genuinely look forward to it, or does it feel like a chore?
Enjoyment is what keeps you coming back. If you dread your workouts, you’ll eventually stop—no matter how “effective” they are on paper. On the other hand, an activity you enjoy creates a positive feedback loop, making consistency almost effortless.
- Social Element
Does it involve other people—or at least allow for interaction?
Sports that include a social component tend to have higher adherence rates. Whether it’s a weekly match, a training partner, or a casual group session, social interaction adds accountability and makes the experience more engaging. Over time, this can be just as important as the physical benefits.
- Sustainability
Can your body handle it over the long term?
High-impact or overly intense routines may deliver quick results but can also increase the risk of burnout or injury. A sustainable activity adapts with you as you age—something you can continue doing comfortably into your 40s, 50s, and beyond.
This is where many people go wrong. They focus heavily on optimization—searching for the most efficient, scientifically “proven” workout—while overlooking the far more important factor: adherence.
In practice, the hierarchy looks like this:
Consistency > Intensity > Optimization
A moderately effective activity that you stick with for a decade will always outperform a highly optimized routine that you abandon after a few months. The body responds best to what is repeated consistently, not what is done perfectly for a short period.
Conclusion
Tennis isn’t magic—and it’s not the only path to a longer life. While the data suggests impressive benefits, sports like badminton offer many of the same advantages, often with greater accessibility and sustainability.
The real secret isn’t hidden in a specific sport. It’s in showing up regularly, staying engaged, and—ideally—doing it with others. Because in the end, the activity that adds the most years to your life is the one you never quit.
- Leisure Time Sports and Life Expectancy,” British Journal of Sports Medicine, https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/52/2/91, 2018 ↩︎
- National Institutes of Health, “Observational Studies: Understanding Association vs Causation,” https://www.nih.gov, 2024. ↩︎
- World Health Organization, “Social Isolation and Loneliness Among Older People,” https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240030749, 2021. ↩︎
- American Heart Association, “High-Intensity Interval Training and Cardiovascular Health,” https://www.heart.org, 2023. ↩︎
- Alzheimer’s Society, “Exercise and the Brain,” https://www.alzheimers.org.uk, 2025. ↩︎
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, “Understanding Bias in Observational Research,” https://www.hsph.harvard.edu, 2023.* ↩︎
- World Health Organization, “Physical Activity Guidelines,” https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/physical-activity, 2024. ↩︎
