The Best Sports for a Longer Life: What the Latest Research Tells Us About Exercise and Your Heart

Vannoni © 2026

As a cardiologist practicing here in New York City, one of the questions I hear most often from patients is deceptively simple: "What kind of exercise should I be doing?" For years, my answer has been some version of "the best exercise is the one you'll actually do." That advice still holds, but a wave of recent research is giving us much more specific, and frankly exciting, guidance about which types of physical activity may offer the greatest protection for your heart and the longest life.

Is All Exercise Created Equal?

A landmark study from the Copenhagen City Heart Study, published in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings, followed more than 8,500 adults for up to 25 years and compared different leisure-time sports against each other. The results were striking. Compared to sedentary individuals, tennis players gained nearly 9.7 additional years of life expectancy, followed by badminton (6.2 years), soccer (4.7 years), cycling (3.7 years), swimming (3.4 years), and jogging (3.2 years). At the bottom of the list? Gym-based activities like treadmills and elliptical machines added just 1.5 years.

Why such a dramatic difference? The researchers noted something fascinating: the sports associated with the greatest longevity gains were those that inherently involve social interaction. Tennis, badminton, and soccer all require a partner or team. That social component appears to add a layer of benefit that goes beyond what your muscles and cardiovascular system get from the workout alone. We know from decades of research that social isolation carries health risks comparable to smoking and obesity, so it makes sense that activities combining physical exertion with human connection would pack an extra punch.

Bespoke Concierge Medical Care
Madison Avenue Concierge Medicine

Could Variety Be the Spice of a Longer Life?

Then, in January 2026, a major new study published in BMJ Medicine pushed our understanding even further. Researchers at Harvard followed more than 111,000 men and women for over 30 years as part of the Nurses' Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-Up Study. Their key finding was that people who engaged in the greatest variety of physical activities, mixing things like walking, running, cycling, swimming, strength training, and even gardening, had a 19 percent lower risk of premature death compared to those who stuck with just one form of exercise.

What's especially important is that this benefit held true regardless of how much total exercise people did. In other words, two people could log the same number of hours of physical activity each week, but the one who mixed up their routine across several different activities gained additional longevity benefits. As the study's lead researcher put it, there appear to be extra health benefits from engaging in multiple types of physical activity rather than relying on a single type alone.

From a cardiology perspective, this makes a lot of sense. Different activities stress different systems. Aerobic exercise like running or cycling strengthens the heart's pumping efficiency and improves circulation. Resistance training maintains muscle mass and helps control blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol. Activities that challenge balance and coordination, like tennis or yoga, help prevent falls and keep you independent as you age. When you combine these different stimuli, your body becomes more resilient across the board.

What Does This Mean for Your Heart?

The cardiovascular implications of this research are profound. Physical activity is linked to lower risks of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and even certain cancers. The American Heart Association and federal guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week, plus at least two days of muscle-strengthening activities. But recent data suggests the payoff starts much earlier than many people realize, even four to five minutes of vigorous physical activity per day has been linked to meaningful longevity benefits.

Interestingly, the Copenhagen data also revealed something of a sweet spot. A follow-up analysis found that the lowest cardiovascular and all-cause mortality risk was associated with roughly 2.6 to 4.5 hours of weekly leisure-time sports activity. Beyond 10 hours per week, some of those benefits appeared to diminish, though this remains an area of active research and debate. For most of my patients, the takeaway is reassuring: you don't need to train like an elite athlete to protect your heart. Consistent, moderate activity across several types of exercise is likely the best approach.

Get The Meyer Nutrition Plan

As part of our concierge membership, patients have access to nutritional services which actively promote mind-body work. The Meyer Nutrition Program is an integrative method that incorporates stress reduction, exercise recommendations, and individualized nutrition strategies that work with your lifestyle to most effectively and comprehensively support your health goals and improve your quality of life. 

Learn More About The Meyer Nutrition Plan

What Advice Would I Give My Patients?

So what do I recommend? First, if you're currently sedentary, the single most important step is to start moving , in any way that feels manageable. Walking remains one of the most accessible and well-supported forms of exercise for heart health. From there, I encourage my patients to build variety into their routine. If you walk regularly, consider adding a weekly swim or a strength training session. If you already run, try picking up a racket sport or joining a cycling group.

The social dimension matters more than most people think. Exercising with a friend, joining a tennis league, or attending a group fitness class doesn't just make workouts more enjoyable, the research suggests it may genuinely help you live longer. For my patients in New York, the options are nearly endless: Central Park running groups, public tennis courts, community pools, cycling clubs, and countless gyms offering group classes.

Resistance training deserves special mention, particularly for my patients over 50. Strength training helps preserve muscle mass and bone density, both of which decline naturally with age. It also improves mood, cognitive function, and the ability to perform everyday tasks independently, from carrying groceries to climbing subway stairs.

Finally, don't be afraid to switch things up over time. Your body and your interests will change as you get older, and the research supports the idea that adapting your activities is not only fine, it may be beneficial. The goal is to find a mix of activities you genuinely enjoy and can sustain for years to come. As Harvard epidemiologist I-Min Lee summed it up: "The bottom line is to move more."

Your heart, and the rest of your body.

Join Our Concierge Membership Program

After the first meeting, you can apply to become a member in our premium concierge program and access our elite services, in
cluding our executive annual physical. The program consists in an annual membership fee giving access to our premium services.

Become A Member of To Madison Avenue Concierge Medicine

Sources

1. Schnohr P, O'Keefe JH, Holtermann A, et al. "Various Leisure-Time Physical Activities Associated With Widely Divergent Life Expectancies: The Copenhagen City Heart Study." Mayo Clinic Proceedings. 2018;93(12):1775-1785. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30193744/

2. Han H, Hu J, Lee DH, et al. "Physical Activity Types, Variety, and Mortality: Results from Two Prospective Cohort Studies." BMJ Medicine. January 20, 2026. https://hsph.harvard.edu/news/exercise-variety-not-just-amount-linked-to-lower-risk-of-premature-mortality/

3. Schnohr P, O'Keefe JH, Lavie CJ, et al. "U-Shaped Association Between Duration of Sports Activities and Mortality: Copenhagen City Heart Study." Mayo Clinic Proceedings. 2021;96(12):3012-3020. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34412854/

4. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. "Which Sports Offer the Biggest Longevity Boost?" January 21, 2026. https://hsph.harvard.edu/news/which-sports-offer-the-biggest-longevity-boost/

5. Chong A. "The Best Sports for Longevity." The New York Times. January 15, 2026. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/15/well/move/sports-exercise-longevity.html

6. Oja P, Kelly P, Pedisic Z, et al. "Associations of Specific Types of Sports and Exercise with All-Cause and Cardiovascular-Disease Mortality." British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2017;51(10):812-817. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28137772/

7. Runacres A, Mackintosh KA, McNarry MA. "Health Consequences of an Elite Sporting Career: Long-Term Detriment or Long-Term Gain? A Meta-Analysis of 165,000 Former Athletes." Sports Medicine. 2021;51(2):289-301. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33098072/

8. American College of Cardiology. "The Relationship Between Exercise and Longevity: Challenging the U-Shaped Hypothesis." 2025. https://www.acc.org/latest-in-cardiology/articles/2025/07/02/15/19/the-relationship-between-exercise-and-longevity

9. Medical News Today. "Longevity: Mixing Different Physical Activities May Prolong Life Span." January 22, 2026. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/types-physical-activity-help-prolong-life-span-longevity-exercise