Researchers were surprised to find “People who played tennis, badminton or soccer tended to live longer than those who cycled, swam or jogged.”
The data:
|
Activity
|
Additional years gained
|
|
Biking
|
3.7
|
|
Running
|
3.2
|
|
Tennis
|
9.7
|
|
Badminton
|
6.2
|
|
Soccer
|
5
|
It’s way too early to draw definitive conclusions, but I’ll do so anyway (it’s a blog, so it’s supposed to be opinionated). The researchers suggested “the social aspects of racket games and other team sports are a primary reason that they seem to lengthen lives” because “social support provides stress mitigation.”
If that’s the case, we can make a strong case for Nordic walking. The intensity level is such you can carry on conversations with others. That means Nordic walking makes the social component possible, giving a potential positive effect on longevity.
The moral? Get out and start a walking group!