I saw this interesting short reel online this week which related exactly to my own fitness activity. The author of the video, Dan Buettner, wrote the Blue Zones books and a newsletter called Eating to 100.
Link: Three Sports, Dan Buettner Instagram
On Sunday, we went for a long bike ride, on Monday I played pickleball, on Tuesday I played disc golf with friends, and on Thursday I played tennis. Bicycling, golf (walking), and racquet sports. Check. Check. Check. (Disc golf isn’t exactly like regular golf, but I got 7.8K steps in with a lot of elevation, so I’m counting it!)
It’s easy to see why he picked these three. They all have some great aspects:
Bicycling: Low-impact and joint-friendly, bicycling boosts cardiovascular health, builds leg strength, improves balance, and offers outdoor enjoyment—ideal for maintaining fitness without stressing aging joints.
Golf: Combining moderate walking with social interaction, golf promotes flexibility, coordination, and mental focus. It encourages regular movement, reduces stress, and supports long-term physical activity habits.
Racket Sports: Engaging and dynamic, racket sports like tennis & pickleball improve hand-eye coordination, agility, and cardiovascular health. They offer social connection and cognitive stimulation while supporting bone density and reflexes.
In the past, I’ve run, played softball, and was on a curling team. I like the idea of mixing up different sports. Maybe I’ve found the perfect three for my future …!
Which of these three are you doing regularly?
HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!
Images: Instagram; Dan Buettner
MrFireStation 
Great job. Judging by the time this was published you need to work on getting more sleep. Of course I’m commenting on your 2:00 AM post at 4:30 AM.
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Ha ha! I wrote this about 11p on Thursday. WordPress has a feature that lets you select a time to publish. I usually pick 2a, because I do get some morning traffic from Europe!
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Cool short video. I do Golf and Pickleball every week for sure. I bike a little but I’m more into hiking or walking. I also feel healthier if I can get 1 strength training exercise in every week as well. Thanks for sharing.
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That sounds great. None of these sports has a huge “strength” / muscle-building focus. I guess hiking up some big hills works your legs though.
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I don’t do any of the three sports. Interesting takeaway from the segment was that people who play racket sports live ten years longer on average and was the number one sport associated with longevity. A big question that comes up is are people playing racket sports improving their health to the point they live ten years longer, or are they healthy enough to play racket sports so the sport is self-selecting?
I read the Blue Zones book. I don’t think the people in most of the Blue Zones are doing much in the way of sports and instead incorporate activity in their daily lives consisting of walking, manual labor and gardening because they have to in order to live. Time to get back to cutting brush, which I count as gardening.
The key is keep moving while not injuring yourself!
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Agree – hard to know what causes what. I partnered with a woman in pickleball today who was well into her 70s and she was outstanding. I would guess she’s been a good athlete her whole life. Also agree that avoiding injury is key. I’m 18 months into an injury free streak and loving it. I hurt my Achilles playing softball 3 years ago and it was very frustrating.
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Achilles = Ouch! An Achilles tear ended Kobe Bryant’s playing career. Hopefully you are using stretching exercises to rehab it. The injury won’t get better on its own.
I recommend surfing videos to find how to asses your range of motion challenges and address them. It will help fix the old injuries and avoid new ones and only takes around an hour per week spread out over 3 – 4 sessions.
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I got over it about 18 months ago. Physical therapy at the orthopedics place was the key. My amateur approach to recovery had only made it worse.
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