The Best Three Sports for your Heart

A heart symbolizes love but an unloved heart won’t last. Loving your heart means eating heart healthy foods and having a regular workout routine. Otherwise, you could face some serious problems in your future. Heart disease can lower longevity. Some 700,000 Americans die of heart disease every year. Unfortunately, it is nicknamed the “silent killer” for a reason. Heart disease is often symptom-free – with a heart attack one of the more common signs of a heart condition.

The secret to a healthy (and loved) heart is regular cardiovascular exercise. It doesn’t  have to be drudgery. It can be fun. Taking up a sport can extend your life expectancy, increase your stamina, and even introduce you to a new set of friends. Here are three of the best heart-healthy sports.

What is Heart Healthy? 

Taking care of your heart means eating a heart healthy diet, avoiding smoking, and exercising regularly. More Americans die from heart disease than any other cause. There are often few if any early warning signs of a heart condition. That’s why regular cardiovascular exercise that increases your heart rate is so important. 

A consistent workout routine will deliver both lowered blood pressure and reduced inflammation (which has been linked to cancer and diabetes along with heart disease.) By exercising regularly, you’ll find it easier to lose extra pounds and maintain a healthy weight. You’ll also improve your stamina and lung capacity. 

One of the best predictors of future cardiovascular disease is a measurement of the maximum amount of oxygen the body can absorb and use during exercise. This is known as the VO₂ max measurement. Exercise elevates this number. It does this by strengthening your muscles. This improves their ability to extract oxygen from blood, which then reduces the amount of blood the heart has to pump. Engaging in regular physical activity also reduces stress hormones which can tax the heart. Like a beta blocker, exercise both slows the heart rate and lowers blood pressure. 

Cardio can even increase the amount of the so-called good cholesterol – high-density lipoprotein (HDL). It also helps control triglycerides – one reason athletes enjoy a lowered risk of heart attack. Finally, by stimulating your heart to pump blood more efficiently, cardio workouts improve circulation –  not just in your body but in your brain as well. So you might discover that heart-healthy workouts promote mental clarity.  

Of course you shouldn’t embark on any new physical activity without accurate information. Kyla offers at-home tests that provide vital details about your cardiovascular health including cholesterol. The tests also check hormone and blood sugar levels along with liver and kidney function. You’ll even learn about important vitamin or nutrient deficiencies. While many companies charge hundreds of dollars for similar tests, Kyla’s is just $99. It may even be covered by insurance. 

Begin by completing a simple, on-line health quiz before selecting the test which is right for you. In two-to-four days, you’ll receive your blood test kit – complete with instructions for sample collection. Simply return it to our labs at no cost. After receiving your results, you’ll have the opportunity to consult with a Kyla doctor who will offer personalized advice to help you on your fitness journey. 

Through the Kyla app, you’ll learn about areas you need to improve and where to be careful during workout routines. By doing the tests before embarking on a new activity, you’ll discover your strengths and your weaknesses. You’ll also be taking the first step toward extending your life expectancy. That’s because you’ll be able to  continuously monitor the progress you are making with the Kyla app. Along with improving your workout routine, you’ll discover nutrition and lifestyle enhancements. You’ll feel empowered by setting goals and taking action.

When it comes to the best workout routine, they all incorporate cardio. While strength training shouldn’t be neglected, cardiovascular fitness is ideal for increasing energy and stamina while burning calories. Some of the best exercises to lose belly fat are cardio workouts. These workouts usually stress your body’s biggest muscles – like the legs and back. The exercise is ongoing – unlike the starting and stopping that you’d experience while lifting weights. Cardio continuously challenges your heart and lungs. Plus, your workouts will get more intense (and fulfilling) the longer you do the sport. 

The best sport for your heart health is one you enjoy. Taking up a sport just because you think it will be good for you is a recipe for failure. Any physical activity can be helpful, even if it doesn’t raise your heart rate. The key is consistency. Still, these three sports stand out as the best for heart health.

1. Tennis and other racquet sports

Over 20 years ago, Forbes magazine published a list of the healthiest sports. The magazine ranked sports on cardio endurance, strength, muscle endurance, flexibility, calories burned, and injury risk. Many of their choices still top lists of the healthiest exercises, while a more recent examination also includes such factors as how much social interaction each sport provides. Yet when it comes to longevity, heart health, and the best overall fitness, tennis is consistently tops. 

With its need for speed in sudden bursts and constant movement, it isn’t surprising that tennis is so great for heart health. Male, middle-aged tennis players have a 50 ml.kg−1.min−1 VO₂ max measurement while female players of the same age are at a 44 ml.kg−1.min−1. The average non-playing, middle aged male is has a VO₂ max measurement between 30 and 40 ml.kg−1.min−1. The average resting heart rate is at 75 to 90 beats/min – a full 20 to 30 points higher than the resting rate of a tennis player at the same age (middle-aged female tennis players are at around 61 beats/min).

If you’re already considering tennis lessons, keep in mind that it’s not the only racquet sport to give you an excellent cardio workout routine. Squash, racketball, and badminton post similarly good numbers. They are also well regarded in longevity – with tennis players enjoying the longest lifespans and the other racquet sports close behind.

Although tennis and the other racquet sports have lots of stopping and starting (unlike purely aerobic activity), the degree that both the upper and lower body is taxed ensures a solid cardio workout. Tennis also improves flexibility, balance, footwork and hand-eye coordination – all significant for anyone looking for not just a heart healthy sport but healthy aging as well. It also requires focus and delivers consistent mental challenges which can help reduce stress. Studies show that elevated cortisol levels as the result of chronic stress can increase everything from triglycerides to blood pressure and even promote arterial plaque deposits. 

Although pickleball has less research behind it, a recent study examining data from Apple Watches found some favorable comparisons to tennis. While tennis players averaged a peak heart rate of 152 beats per minute, pickleballers hit 143 beats per minute. Although tennis had longer periods of intense play, pickleball lasted longer. Because there’s less running across a smaller court, pickleball is ideal for those with health issues while its reputation as easy to learn has attracted advocates who struggled with more complex racquet sports. 

As cardiologist Dr. Lili Barouch, director of sports cardiology at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore explains, “Playing pickleball, and participating in other sports and exercise, is great for people with heart conditions because it improves cardiorespiratory fitness, reduces risk of recurrent cardiac events such as heart attack, atrial fibrillation and heart failure, lowers blood pressure, and improves sleep quality, just to name a few.”

2. Running

For pure cardiovascular intensity, running tops most lists. It’s a consistently aerobic workout and requires little in the way of training or expense other than a good pair of running shoes. It’s also one of the best exercises to lose belly fat. 

The key to making running part of your workout routine is to start slow. Build up from a brisk walk to a steady jog. While running to music has its advantages, listening to your own breathing while being aware of your surroundings is important. You may also want to run with a friend for both the motivation and social support. 

“The benefits are overwhelmingly positive in the vast majority of people who run,” explains Raul Mitrani, M.D., a cardiologist with the University of Miami Health System. “It lowers blood pressure, lowers heart rate, improves metabolism, delays diabetes, promotes weight loss, and prolongs life. If you could take all the benefits of running and put them in a pill, it’d be a bestseller.” 

Indeed, a landmark study looking at over 55,000 adults for some 15 years found that runners had a 30% lower risk of death than non-runners while runners were 45% less likely to die of heart-related causes of death like heart attack or strokes. Interestingly, runners who ran for shorter distances or at slower speeds still did better in terms of longevity and heart health than non- runners. Running is excellent for cardio, extending the average lifespan, and overall heart health. The one caveat is to not overdo it. There is some concern within the medical community that long distance and ultramarathon runners may damage their hearts.

3. Swimming

Although racquet sports and running consistently top lists for the most heart healthy activities, some consider swimming superior to all others. Although the cardio benefits of swimming are slightly less than from other top-rated sports, the various advantages of the sport more than make up for it. That’s because swimmers develop a stronger core than most non swimmers while increasing their coordination and lung capacity. Most importantly, these benefits accrue while their body weight is almost entirely supported by the water. 

This low-impact workout routine places less stress on the joints than running (it’s great for the knees) and unlike tennis can be done by those who are recovering from surgery or experiencing chronic pain. If you’ve never swam before, don’t be afraid of trying adult swimming lessons. Learning to swim is not just rewarding but potentially lifesaving. Most fitness facilities offer swimming pools, so there are likely nearby options if you are considering this heart-healthy exercise. 

In terms of longevity, studies suggest that by swimming for one hour, five days a week swimmers can enjoy a biological age that is some two decades less than their chronological one. Yes, swimming may actually slow down aging and increase the average lifespan.

Although these three sports top most lists for heart healthy activities, there are numerous others. Rowing is one of the best exercises available, using most of the body (both upper and lower) and requiring as much consistent stamina as tennis, running, or swimming. While being able to row an actual boat provides more in the way of visual stimulation and fresh air, with a rowing machine it becomes a year round sport regardless of climate. 

Bike riding has grown in popularity and has the added benefit of providing support for the back and knees. The one drawback is that it can be dangerous – especially in urban areas. As the number of riders has increased, sadly so has the number of cyclicals involved in fatal accidents.  Team sports like soccer and basketball are also very heart healthy, and if you have an interest there are likely all-ages teams available in your area. 

What sports like tennis, running, and swimming have in common is they are sports for life. It’s no longer rare to read about successful athletes in these endeavors who are in their 90s. Kyla believes in extending your healthspan – the years you can enjoy a healthy life. In fact, participating in heart-healthy sports, eating a heart healthy diet, and consistently monitoring and tracking your progress are all important steps toward extending your lifespan. 

With daily advances in medicine and technology, Kyla believes that someday humans will achieve longevity escape velocity. This is where through lifestyle interventions and working with a trusted healthcare professional, you can extend your average lifespan by more than one year for every year you are alive. By actively participating in a heart healthy sport, you’ll enjoy a longer life while never feeling like your years are long. And by downloading the Kyla app today, you’ll discover ways to keep your heart, and your body, healthy.

Sources: 

1. “Training for Cardiovascular Fitness,” Sports Medicine University of Colorado. https://www.ucdenver.edu/docs/librariesprovider65/clinical-services/sports-medicine/training-for-cardiovascular-fitness.pdf
2. “Forbes List of Healthiest Sports,” Topend Sports.  https://www.topendsports.com/world/lists/fittest-sport/healthiest-forbes.htm#google_vignette
3. Le, Bruce Y. “What Is The Best Sport For You? Try This Healthy Sport Index,” Forbes. November 10, 2018. https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucelee/2018/11/10/what-is-the-best-sport-for-you-try-this-healthy-sport-index/
4. “Find The Best Sport For You: The Healthy Sport Index,” Hospital for Special Surgery. https://healthysportindex.com
5. “Stress Can Increase Your Risk for Heart Disease,” University of Rochester Medical Center. https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?ContentTypeID=1&ContentID=2171
6. Marks, B L. “Health benefits for veteran (senior) tennis players.” British Journal of Sports Medicine. May 2006. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2577501/
7. Cabello-Manrique, David et al. “Play Badminton Forever: A Systematic Review of Health Benefits.” International journal of environmental research and public health. July 26, 2022. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9330062/
8. Laukkanen, Jari A. MD, PhD. “Objectively Assessed Cardiorespiratory Fitness and All-Cause Mortality Risk: An Updated Meta-analysis of 37 Cohort Studies Involving 2,258,029 Participants,” Mayo Clinic Proceedings. June 2022. https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/article/S0025-6196(22)00133-1/abstract
9. Park, Alice. “These 3 Sports Will Help You Live Longer,” Time. November 29, 2016. https://time.com/4585396/sports-live-longer-exercise/
10. Smith, Carly. BS, MPH(c). “How Social Connection Supports Longevity,” Stanford University Lifestyle Medicine. December 18, 2023.https://longevity.stanford.edu/lifestyle/2023/12/18/how-social-connection-supports-longevity/
11. “New Apple research highlights the health benefits of pickleball,” Apple Newsroom. October 18, 2023. https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2023/10/new-apple-research-highlights-the-health-benefits-of-pickleball/
12. Halnon, Emily. “Some action on a pickleball court can be fun and safe, even with a heart condition,” American Heart Association News. https://www.heart.org/en/news/2024/04/29/some-action-on-a-pickleball-court-can-be-fun-and-safe-even-with-a-heart-condition

“How Running Impacts Your Heart Health,” University of Miami Health System. https://news.umiamihealth.org/en/how-running-impacts-your-heart-health/