Benefits of Sports © 2019 Paul Goodman Ten(10) Benefits of Playing Sports Healthier Heart Reduced Stress and Anxiety Diverse Social Connections Reduced Risk of Diabetes Reduced Body Fat Teamwork Sleep Better Lower Blood Pressure Improved Appearance Improved Mood 1. Healthier Heart Unfortunately, heart disease is the number one cause of death in the USA, but the good news is that numerous studies have shown that regular exercise from participation in sports can dramatically increase heart health and reduce the chances of dying from cardiovascular disease. A  study by the British Journal of Sports Medicine , for example, showed that people who swam participated in racket sports (such as tennis, badminton, squash), or did aerobics (including dancing) experienced dramatic reductions in mortality rates for cardiovascular death. The reduction rates were 41% for swimming, 56% for racket sports, and 36% for aerobics. 2. Reduced Stress and Anxiety Over two-thirds of Americans say that they ex