A new study has found that individuals who play sports in high school are more healthy 50 years later.
The researchers compared various factors of social background, personality traits, and lifestyle behaviors and found that one of the most significant predictors of health at age 70 was whether or not the subject had competed in sports during high school. The authors found that those who had competed in sports during high school were significantly more likely to still be exercising at age 70, which is likely responsible for their improved status.
Conclusions
Because this study was only observational, it is impossible to determine whether or not joining a sports team was a direct cause of the improved health, or simply a correlating variable. For example, it is possible that people who enjoy exercise are more likely to play sports, and these people are more likely to exercise at age 70.
Although the research isn’t conclusive, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to hypothesize that joining a sports team during high school may have direct causal benefits. Being on a team teaches many life skills, such as commitment, discipline, and teamwork that are rarely ever learned in a classroom setting, and this study supports the potential benefits that may be derived from joining a team.
References
1 Dohle S, Wansink B. Fit in 50 years. BMC Public Health. 2013 Dec.