{"id":636022,"date":"2026-10-04T10:54:15","date_gmt":"2026-10-04T10:54:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/636022\/"},"modified":"2026-10-04T10:54:15","modified_gmt":"2026-10-04T10:54:15","slug":"why-racket-sports-could-be-the-ultimate-longevity-workout-3-tips-for-getting-started","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/636022\/","title":{"rendered":"Why racket sports could be the ultimate longevity workout \u2013 3 tips for getting started"},"content":{"rendered":"

The telltale red flush crept up her neck, as Kerry Ligthert felt the world closing in. The 51-year-old was trying to deliver a speech in her role at Citizen\u2019s Advice in Worcestershire \u2013 something that used to be second nature. But since being diagnosed with breast cancer \u2013 and undergoing chemotherapy, surgery and 15 rounds of radiotherapy \u2013 the anxiety she\u2019d felt at work had come to feel overwhelming. It wasn\u2019t the only way the diagnosis had taken its toll. \u2018I\u2019d gone from having muscle definition in my arms and core to nothing,\u2019 she tells Women’s Health. \u2018All the figures on my Apple Watch \u2013 resting heart rate, VO2 max<\/a> \u2013 were below average.\u2019 Before her diagnosis, movement had been an integral part of her daily routine; now, she felt helpless as the strength she\u2019d worked so hard to build began to slip away.<\/p>\n

Fast-forward to today and Kerry\u2019s health metrics paint a different picture. \u2018I can feel my muscles again, particularly in my biceps and shoulders,\u2019 she shares. \u2018Bit by bit, that explosive power has come back and my [cardio] fitness, too. I feel strong \u2013 physically and mentally.\u2019<\/p>\n

The driving force behind this transformation? Two and a half years of tennis. Kerry is part of a collective movement courting the benefits of racket sports. According to the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA)<\/a>, adult annual tennis participation reached a record high of 5.8 million players in 2025 \u2013 around a 50% rise from 2019. Increasing popularity at a grassroots level comes as a growing body of research suggests racket sports could be one of the most powerful exercise interventions for longevity. When a 2018 Danish study \u2013 The Copenhagen City Heart Study<\/a> \u2013 analysed more than 8,000 people\u2019s exercise habits to evaluate the life expectancies associated with different sports, tennis topped the list, showing an almost 10-year increase in life expectancy compared with the sedentary group; badminton followed, at just over six years. As an observational study, researchers couldn\u2019t prove cause and effect \u2013 but it put racket sports years ahead of jogging, cycling and swimming.<\/p>\n

Adding further weight to the case for racket sports is another landmark study published two years earlier in the British Journal Of Sports Medicine (BJSM)<\/a>. This observational study analysed the physical activity of more than 80,000 individuals, finding racket sports (tennis, badminton and squash) to have the strongest associations with longevity. They were linked to a 47% lower risk of death from any cause, rising to 56% for cardiovascular disease. Interestingly, neither running nor football were associated with a statistically significant risk reduction. All of which serves up the question: why?<\/p>\n

To serve and protect\"mature<\/p>\n

Thomas M Barwick INC<\/p>\n

\u2018We expected sport to be protective,\u2019 says Emmanuel Stamatakis, co-author of the BJSM study and professor of physical activity, lifestyle and population health at Monash University in Melbourne. \u2018What surprised us was the size of the racket sports association and that running didn\u2019t have any significance.\u2019 Since the study was published, he notes, his attention has turned away from ranking individual sports and towards the mechanical make-up of the sports with the strongest associations with longevity. The common ingredient in racket sports is repeated bursts of intense effort \u2013 the kind that leaves you huffing and puffing. \u2018Nearly a decade of wearable-based work has shown these brief bursts, done as part of daily living, are beneficially associated with mortality and incident type 2 diabetes,\u2019 explains Professor Stamatakis.<\/p>\n

Sue Madelin isn\u2019t surprised. Having taken up padel a year ago \u2013 the fast-paced tennis\/squash hybrid typically played in doubles \u2013 those short bursts of movement have already made her feel more physically stable. Two years ago, the 58-year-old from Maidenhead was diagnosed with Parkinson\u2019s \u2013 a progressive neurological condition that causes tremors on her right side and some balance issues that worsen with tiredness. That Parkinson\u2019s UK<\/a> recommends moderate- to high-intensity exercise \u2013 following research<\/a> that it may slow the disease\u2019s progression and positively impact the health and development of neurons \u2013 meant putting a movement routine in place became an immediate priority.<\/p>\n

Sue was already a regular at her local Pilates studio, but she\u2019d never found a form of cardio she\u2019d been able to stick with. That is, until a message landed in her Pilates WhatsApp chat suggesting an introductory session to padel. \u2018I fell completely in love with it,\u2019 Sue recalls, noting how easy it was to learn. Now a proficient padel player, the sudden direction changes have given her the confidence that she could catch and steady herself if she were to trip over, helping her to avoid falls as her Parkinson\u2019s progresses.<\/p>\n

\u2018You build aerobic fitness, balance and agility\u2019<\/p>\n

Kush Joshi, sports and exercise medicine consultant at Opus Biological clinic<\/a> and a tournament physician at Wimbledon, also points to racket sports\u2019 ability to improve VO2 max \u2013 the maximum amount of oxygen your body can use during intense exercise. The metric is a key indicator of cardiovascular fitness and one of the biggest predictors of longevity \u2013 even helping doctors to determine whether someone will tolerate the physiological stress of major surgery. \u2018The average, relatively sedentary 40-year-old female will already start getting short of breath walking briskly on a flat terrain,\u2019 explains Dr Joshi. \u2018When she\u2019s 70, she won\u2019t be able to walk uphill with that continuation of VO2 max, which is why it\u2019s vital to maintain.\u2019 It\u2019s not just organs feeling the benefits, but bones, too. \u2018The constant repetitive motion of landing in short bursts will inevitably lead to improved osteoblast [specialised cells responsible for forming new bone tissue] function, with the increased ground force load stimulating bone formation<\/a>,\u2019 says Dr Joshi. \u2018For women in midlife and beyond, this is very relevant because we know that better bone density means you\u2019re less likely to get osteoporotic fractures, which is a huge issue in postmenopausal women.\u2019 Stronger forearms also correlate to a stronger hand grip \u2013 a marker that \u2018directly correlates to [a reduced risk of] all-cause mortality,\u2019 he adds.<\/p>\n

Very few activities train cardiovascular, musculoskeletal and neurological systems at the same time, confirms Professor Stamatakis. \u2018There\u2019s aerobic fitness, balance and agility through the constant stopping, turning and lunging (loading on bone, muscle and tendon that steady-state cardio doesn\u2019t provide), plus the cognitive demand of tracking a ball and reacting under time pressure.\u2019 No umpire can call that out.<\/p>\n

A social call\"mature<\/p>\n

Shannon Fagan\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

And yet, more than the sports\u2019 mechanical make-up, it\u2019s the fact you can\u2019t play alone that researchers believe elevates them even further in the longevity playbook. \u2018The social side probably matters the most because it keeps people coming back,\u2019 points out Professor Stamatakis. \u2018You book a court with someone, you turn up and you keep turning up for years. Sustained participation over decades is what likely shows up in mortality data.\u2019<\/p>\n

Before tennis, Kerry struggled to find social connection. She\u2019d been running a hospitality business in Thailand for 18 years before returning to the UK in 2019 \u2013 just in time for the pandemic and cancer to thwart rebuilding a social network. \u2018Tennis was the first time I\u2019d met like-minded people,\u2019 she reflects. \u2018You develop this banter on court and find your people.\u2019 For Kerry, the closeness and familiarity the game delivers can fast-track deeper friendships. But the social skills tennis has delivered have also transferred to the workplace, where she\u2019s now thriving.<\/p>\n

As for Sue, padel provides purpose. \u2018As a stay-at-home mum and wife, it\u2019s nice to do something purely for me that benefits my health and makes me feel like I\u2019m achieving things.\u2019 Perhaps unsurprisingly, purpose is closely connected with longevity. A UCL-led study in The Lancet<\/a> explored \u2018eudaimonic wellbeing\u2019 \u2013 garnered from living a purposeful life, rather than simply feeling happy. Participants in the highest wellbeing group had a 30% lower risk of dying during the study\u2019s average eight and- a-half-year follow-up period than those with the lowest levels.<\/p>\n

\u2018Padel completely changes women\u2019s confidence\u2019<\/p>\n

\u2018One of the biggest transformations is among women who never really thought of themselves as \u201csporty\u201d,\u2019 says Sandy Farquharson, Team GB padel coach and co-founder of online coaching platform The Padel School<\/a>. \u2018For these women, we see padel completely changing their confidence.\u2019 Sue can relate to this, too. \u2018You feel yourself getting better. You\u2019ll play the most beautiful shot and go, \u201cOh my word, did you see that?\u201d,\u2019 she enthuses. In one recent doubles game, she relished having to dig deep in order to get the result she wanted. \u2018We were 40-love down and I just kept on serving. It didn\u2019t even occur to me [to give up].\u2019<\/p>\n

What Sue is describing is a flow state \u2013 or \u2018complete immersion in an activity\u2019, explains psychotherapist and fitness instructor Eloise Skinner<\/a>. Rather than judging or criticising your body or thoughts, you focus on using both to achieve a particular goal. \u2018This can be incredibly fulfilling in an age where we feel constantly distracted or fragmented in our attention,\u2019 Skinner adds, of all the things you aren\u2019t thinking about when your head is fully focused in the game.<\/p>\n

A costly return\"senior<\/p>\n

FG Trade Latin<\/p>\n

It\u2019s saying something when health experts believe the sole downside to a behaviour is that more people aren\u2019t doing it. And when it comes to racket sports, that\u2019s often the fault of cost. In London, annual tennis club memberships can reach into the thousands, with padel court hire upwards of \u00a390 per hour. \u2018If you\u2019ve watched King Richard [the 2021 sports biopic about the Williams family], you\u2019ll know their journey. It\u2019s so difficult to actually access tennis if you\u2019re from certain ethnic minority and socio-economic backgrounds,\u2019 notes Dr Joshi. Indeed, in a recent LTA-commissioned report<\/a> by Leeds Beckett University, participants repeatedly described the sport as white and affluent. One Black female coach said, \u2018Tennis is not a sport where Black people, especially Black women, feel like we fit in.\u2019<\/p>\n

Dr Joshi believes access could be improved if empty facilities were utilised. \u2018A few years ago, Andy Murray said he turned up to the National Tennis Centre [the LTA\u2019s elite training facility] in Roehampton one Tuesday, and there was no one there. Why are we not letting local kids play on these courts? If children start playing at a young age, they\u2019re more likely to continue later in life.\u2019 With Women in Sport research showing<\/a> that 43% of teenage girls who previously considered themselves sporty had disengaged from sport after primary school, Dr Joshi champions getting racket sports into PE lessons. \u2018Especially for girls, where participation in sport is becoming worse and worse. Maybe this is something they might enjoy because it\u2019s a bit more sociable.\u2019<\/p>\n

Even on days when Sue\u2019s feeling wobbly, she encourages anyone with Parkinson\u2019s to give it a go. \u2018My consultant said it\u2019s amazing. He told me I\u2019m doing everything I can to slow the progression and help my symptoms.\u2019 Such is Kerry\u2019s love and gratitude for tennis that she now dedicates much of her free time to volunteering, working tirelessly to deliver lost-cost sessions to the community and helping as many people as possible access the benefits the sport has to offer.<\/p>\n

\u2018Your whole outlook changes,\u2019 she says, of the feeling she has when she walks off the court, no matter how rubbish her day was beforehand. While Kerry\u2019s full strength may never return to what it was before cancer, in matters of longevity, that mindset is perhaps the most powerful ingredient of all.<\/p>\n

Get to grips with the gameDon’t be put off by pace<\/p>\n

Pickleball is a slower but popular alternative to tennis, played on a smaller court with a paddle and a plastic ball, while in \u2018walking tennis\u2019, players can\u2019t run or jump, and the ball is allowed to bounce twice. Try your hand at a few different options until you find the right pace for you.<\/p>\n

Try tasters for beginners<\/p>\n

Farquharson recommends structured sessions and LTA-accredited tutors to avoid unqualified coaches. Check out women\u2019s padel community Empower Padel<\/a>, while Age UK\u2019s \u2018Act Now, Age Better\u2019 campaign<\/a> offers low-cost sessions in pickleball, tennis, table tennis and badminton.<\/p>\n

Don’t ignore the racket<\/p>\n

The biggest prevention against \u2018tennis elbow\u2019 \u2013 pain in the elbow and forearm, often caused by overuse? Fundamentally, having the right racket, says Dr Joshi, who advises going to a racket shop for guidance on the different racket grips and string tensions.<\/p>\n

\"Headshot<\/p>\n

Hannah Bradfield is a Senior Health and Fitness Writer for Women\u2019s Health UK. An NCTJ-accredited journalist, Hannah graduated from Loughborough University with a BA in English and Sport Science and an MA in Media and Cultural Analysis. \u00a0She has been covering sports, health and fitness for the last five years and has created content for outlets including BBC Sport, BBC Sounds, Runner\u2019s World and Stylist. She especially enjoys interviewing those working within the community to improve access to sport, exercise and wellness. Hannah is a 2024 John Schofield Trust Fellow and was also named a 2022 Rising Star in Journalism by The Printing Charity. \u00a0A keen runner, Hannah was firmly a sprinter growing up (also dabbling in long jump) but has since transitioned to longer-distance running. While 10K is her favoured race distance, she loves running or volunteering at parkrun every Saturday, followed, of course, by pastries. She\u2019s always looking for fun new runs and races to do and brunch spots to try.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The telltale red flush crept up her neck, as Kerry Ligthert felt the world closing in. The 51-year-old…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":636023,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[287180,7157,287179,4172,1345,85,46,195853,636,141,287178,237453],"class_list":["post-636022","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-science","tag-collection-tennis","tag-content-type-default","tag-contentid-87d6e82c-2875-4ba0-999e-2334accacab2","tag-displaytype-long-form-article","tag-hasproduct-true","tag-il","tag-israel","tag-issyndicated-false","tag-locale-gb","tag-science","tag-shorttitle-why-racket-sports-are-so-good-for-longevity","tag-sponsored-false"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/636022","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=636022"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/636022\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/636023"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=636022"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=636022"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=636022"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}