New study claims these sports are better exercise than running or swimming
For years, doctors have cited swimming and running as two of the best ways to strengthen your muscles and improve cardiovascular health. But now, new research says that racket-based sports like tennis could be even better for your body.
The new study, published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings, claims that some sports that are often considered leisurely are good for the heart and can lead to increased life expectancy. The study, which included more than 8,500 participants in Denmark, found that tennis and badminton especially were associated with the greatest longevity boost of any physical activity.
Today's Top Deals
XGIMI Prime Day deals feature the new MoGo 4 and up to 42% off smart projectors
Best deals: Tech, laptops, TVs, and more sales
Best Ring Video Doorbell deals
Furthermore, the research shows that tennis added up to 9.7 years of life expectancy, while badminton added 6.2 years on average. Comparatively, running and swimming only added 3.2 years and 3.4 years, respectively. Another recent study by British researchers also supports these findings, comparing the overall impact of various sports with the effect they have on the player's health.
A big part of why racket sports are so good for you is because they keep you in constant motion, with moments of fast sprinting and constant directional changes, all of which can benefit your body greatly. As a result, players are constantly burning calories, making tennis one of the best ways to keep your weight in check, too.
Further, the researchers agreed that the repetitive, weight-bearing motions that play a big part in racket sports can help stimulate bone growth and density, which are especially important as our bodies age. This discovery opens the door for other cardiovascular-focused sports to become viable options for those trying to lose weight instead of simply swimming or running.
Considering how difficult it can be to build a habit of exercise, and some of the other research surrounding exercise — like how time seems to slow down when you're exercising — having more than a few ways to reliably workout and burn calories will go a long way for many people.
More Top Deals
Memorial Day security camera deals: Reolink's unbeatable sale has prices from $29.98
See the
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
22 minutes ago
- Yahoo
New study reveals simple food choice that can have major impact on your health: 'Helps to lower cholesterol'
"Beans, beans … good for the heart" is part of a popular saying, and now there's evidence they can help prediabetic people manage their cholesterol and inflammation too. Medical News Today summarized the study, which investigated the metabolic benefits of consuming legumes among people with prediabetes. The 12-week study found that, compared to eating white rice, consuming chickpeas or black beans daily instead had measurable impacts on inflammation. Eating chickpeas was linked with reduced blood cholesterol. Prediabetes occurs when an individual has higher-than-normal blood glucose levels but not high enough to be diagnosed as Type 2 diabetes. While prediabetes can lead to Type 2 diabetes, it can also be reversed. This study is one of a handful that investigates dietary interventions that could help prevent prediabetic people from developing Type 2 diabetes. "The soluble fiber in these legumes helps to lower cholesterol by reducing how much is absorbed into the bloodstream," Maddie Gallivan, a registered dietitian who was not involved in the study, told MNT. She also highlighted some of the other benefits of consuming these legumes. "Beans and chickpeas are excellent examples of plant-based protein sources that are also packed with fiber," she said. "They also help you keep you fuller for longer." Plus, beans can support a healthy gut microbiome, supporting overall health, Gallivan added. The benefits don't stop there, though. Eating more beans and other plant-based food options can also help you save money at the cash register. Plus, eating a plant-based diet is good for the planet. In fact, one study found that if we replaced half of our meat products with plant-based alternatives, we could reduce pollution caused by global agriculture by as much as a third by 2050, compared to 2020 levels. "There are a lot of ways to incorporate beans into your regular diet as a cost-effective way to support overall health and reduce the risk of chronic diseases," the study's presenting author, Morganne Smith, said, according to MNT. "You can blend them to add some thickness to a soup base, add them as a salad topping, or pair them with other grains like rice or quinoa." "They are also good for the environment," added Federica Amati, head nutritionist at ZOE, a science and nutrition company. "Eat more of them." Why do you eat plant-based foods? The health benefits It's cheaper It's good for the planet I prefer the taste Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
His headache felt like a hangover. Paramedics made a scary diagnosis
When Nestor Montalvo woke up last September, he knew something was wrong. He had a headache, and his vision was blurred. The symptoms felt like a "really bad hangover," but he hadn't been drinking the day before. When he tried to stand, the right side of his body was numb. "Everything started spinning. I went to stand up, and I fell," Montalvo, 61, recalled. "I just didn't understand what was going on. I couldn't understand it. I didn't know why I was feeling that way." His wife helped him up and immediately called 911. Paramedics gave him alarming news: He was having a stroke. They rushed him to the emergency room at Catholic Health's Mercy Hospital in Nassau, Long Island. The situation was dire: Montalves said he overheard a doctor telling his daughter, a registered nurse, that he only had a 15% chance of survival. "I was like 'Oh my God, I'm going to die. I don't even have a chance to say goodbye to anybody,'" Montalvo, a retired New York City police officer, recalled. "Time is brain" Doctors who treat strokes have a saying: "Time is brain," said Dr. Taylor Kimberly, the chief of neurocritical care at Massachusetts General Hospital. Kimberly was not involved in Montalvo's treatment. Strokes are caused when blood flow to the brain is interrupted by either a blocked or ruptured blood vessel, Kimberly explained. Montalvo had a blockage, or an ischemic stroke. In these types of strokes, cells in the brain lose access to nutrients and oxygen, causing damage. The longer a stroke goes untreated, the worse the damage can be, Kimberly said. No one knew how long Montalvo had been having a stroke, since the symptoms had been present when he woke up. Dr. Cini Thayil, an emergency medicine attending at Mercy Hospital, was the first doctor to see Montalvo. He was having "very prominent" neurological deficits, she said. "You could see that something was awry," Thayil said. The symptoms triggered Mercy Hospital's stroke protocol. Within 10 minutes of arriving at the ER, Montalvo had been assessed as a potential stroke patient. Fifteen minutes later, he was undergoing a CAT scan. Shortly after doctors reviewed the scans and conferred, Montalvo received a clot-busting medication called TNK, Thayil said. Later, he underwent another minor procedure to ensure the clot was gone. "I could have been a vegetable, I could have died," said Montalves. "But they saved my life." A complicated road to recovery Even though the stroke had been treated, Montalvo's situation remained critical. His vocal cords collapsed, and he needed a tracheotomy to allow him to breathe. He couldn't talk or swallow because of the tubes, and aftereffects from the stroke itself made it difficult for him to speak and eat. When he met Aileen Fairchild, an acute care speech pathologist at Mercy Hospital, he couldn't even swallow a quarter-teaspoon of applesauce unaided. "It was a mess. I couldn't swallow, I couldn't talk, I couldn't eat," Montalvo recalled. For six weeks, Fairchild worked with Montalvo. He received about an hour of speech therapy a day, as well as exercises that targeted the muscles in his throat that contribute to eating and swallowing. He underwent regular scans to make sure the treatments were working. After that month and a half, the tracheotomy tube was removed, allowing Fairchild and Montalvo to work more on his ability to eat and speak. He underwent three procedures to help the muscles in his throat. By Thanksgiving, he was able to eat a regular meal with his family. Now, about a year after his stroke, Montalvo is doing better. He can speak and eat like before, and is enjoying retirement by spending time with his wife, their children, grandchildren, and their dog, Paris. He still uses a cane to walk and is continuing to receive outpatient physical therapy. Montalvo said that he hopes to continue his recovery, which he said has been even tougher than surviving the stroke itself. "You take life for granted, and then when something like this happens, it wakes you up," Montalvo said. "You hear people talk about it, and it just sounds like it's not going to happen to you. All of a sudden, it happens to you." Several people missing from Texas summer camp amid deadly flooding, officials say What a new DOJ memo could mean for naturalized U.S. citizens July 4 holiday week expected to set record for travelers
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
PAS leader dismisses talk of Abdul Hadi stepping down, say president's health ‘better than before'
MARANG, July 5 – Those close to PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang have denied claims he plans to step down from his post amid his health woes, saying such speculation has only come from outside the party. Utusan Malaysia cited Bachok MP Mohd Syahir Che Sulaiman, who previously served as Abdul Hadi's political secretary, saying the rumours had surfaced ahead of the party's 71st Muktamar or annual congress in September but were unfounded. 'We haven't heard anything about it internally. It's just talk from outsiders,' he was quoted saying. 'Even the deputy president has addressed this. Those of us close to him, even his family, have heard nothing,' he added, referring to Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man. Tuan Ibrahim had recently said he feels Abdul Hadi should remain in the role, rather than being moved to be the spiritual leader. Mohd Syahir added that Abdul Hadi's health had significantly improved following a medical procedure at the National Heart Institute last week, and that his recovery has been swift. He said the doctors treating Abdul Hadi were also satisfied with his progress and that he is expected to attend more public events in person moving forward. 'Tok Guru's health is very good, even better than before. He's already resumed his lectures and attended meetings, so there's nothing preventing him from joining more physical events,' he said, referring to Abdul Hadi. Following the lecture, Abdul Hadi's aides requested that media personnel give the PAS president space and refrain from seeking comments from him. Abdul Hadi resumed delivering his weekly duha lecture on Friday, which he had paused for over a month due to treatment at IJN on June 17. He has conducted the session weekly for decades, with the last held on May 30 before his recent break. Despite still recovering, Abdul Hadi also attended funeral prayers on Monday for the late Hamzah Ngah, former PAS Kuala Terengganu deputy chief, at Masjid Rusila in Terengganu.
