Squash and tennis are the best way to stay fit

Forget that jog: Why squash and tennis are the best way to stay fit in middle age

• A study has found racquet sports reduce the risk of dying by 47 per cent
• Researchers said swimming cuts the risk of death by 28 per cent
• The study was based on 11 annual health surveys for England and Scotland

Playing squash, tennis and badminton is the best way to reduce the risk of suddenly dying, a study has found.

The racquet sports reduce the risk of death by 47 per cent compared to doing nothing, researchers discovered.

The study, which looked at the impact of different sports on health of people with an average age of 51, found swimming cut the risk of death by 28 per cent, aerobics by 27 per cent and cycling by 15 per cent.

Interestingly, it discovered that taking part in running and jogging, or football and rugby did not have a significant effect on cutting the chance of death.

The study was based on 11 annual health surveys for England and Scotland from between 1994 and 2008.

Senior author Associate Professor Emmanuel Stamatakis at the University of Sydney said: ‘Our findings indicate that it’s not only how much and how often, but also what type of exercise you do that seems to make the difference.’

Read more, original source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3984566/Squash-tennis-best-way-stay-fit-middle-age-Racquet-sports-reduce-risk-death-nearly-half-compared-doing-nothing.html#ixzz4WgNW7Td2