Aim higher, reach further.

An Olympian Lifespan for Medalists

Olympic medal winners live an average of 2.8 years longer than the general population, according to a new study that looked at the games going back to 1896.

second paper in the same journal looked at all Olympians from 1896 to 1936 and found that, after adjusting for sex and other factors, those in sports with high cardiovascular intensity (such as cycling) lived no longer than those in sports with low cardiovascular intensity, such as golf. But an 11% higher risk of death was found among those who played contact sports such as boxing or rugby.

An accompanying editorial notes that non-Olympians can enjoy a significant survival advantage—from one to several years—simply by engaging in 150 minutes a week of moderate to vigorous physical activity.

Popular on WSJ