As the old song goes: it takes two to make a thing go right. When it comes to activities you can do as a duo, few things are more rewarding on a health level than racket sports. Whether you play heads-up one on one or as a team, racket sports offer a fun, physically demanding experience that can do wonders for your body and mind.
What do You Mean by “Racket Sports?”
It’s pretty simple: if the sport involves whacking something with a racket, it’s a racket sport. Some racket sports are table-based while others require a court and net to properly play. Sports falling under the racket sports (or racquet sports if you’re in the UK and Australia) include:
- Tennis
- Racquetball
- Squash
- Badminton
- Paddleball
- Pickleball
- Table tennis
Live Long and Prosper
One of the surprising benefits of racket sports is that they promote longevity. Studies around tennis and its "sister" sports have found that the combination of aerobic and anaerobic exercise required by racket sports have a very positive effect on cardiovascular health. Having to move around so much while also applying quick bursts of physical power with all those racket swings increases your blood flow, which can help improve brain function and significantly lower the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Additional research has found that people who play tennis recreationally are more likely to live longer than other active people who play soccer, go cycling, or do calisthenics.
A Sociable Sport
Racket sports are an inherently social sport. You can run and swim alone, you can bike by yourself, but if you wanna pick up a racket you need a partner or rival to play with. Research shows that regular social contact is an important part of staying healthy and has found a correlation between loneliness and adults declining physically and mentally as they get older. Adults over the age of 60 who are lonely are at an increased risk of death compared to those who are more socially active.
In addition to helping you outpace the reaper, being more social is a proven stress reliever. It also sharpens our cognition and improves our capacity for memory. Plus: it just feels good, thanks to the release of neurotransmitters like oxytocin that makes us feel more relaxed and elevates our mood.
Burn the Fat
Looking to burn calories? Racket sports are a great way to trim the fat. Part of this is due to something called interval training, in which short bursts of intense activity are broken up with brief periods of rest. That stop-start rhythm that dominates racket sports is great for engaging your muscles and burning fat. It also helps improve muscle tone while you’re lowering your body fat, so if you’re worried about how your body will look after losing a lot of weight racket sports like tennis can be a great way to “tighten things up” as you shed pounds.
Stay Balanced
An underrated benefit of racket sports is how they cultivate and enhance your sense of balance and mobility. Racket sports build up both your muscle endurance and your reflexes; the quick start-stop movements can strengthen your legs, giving you better balance and agility. Good balance leads to improved posture, reduces the risk of falls and injury, stabilizes joints, and improves coordination.
Article by Austin Brietta
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