Are team sports the secret to living longer?

TL;DR

Team sports like Granny Basketball extend life by combining physical exercise, brain stimulation, and social connection that combat isolation and dementia.

Key Points

• 1.The Granny Basketball League has grown to 57 teams across the US and one in Canada. Founded over 20 years ago by Barb Trammell in Lansing, Iowa, it uses 1920s six-on-six rules with no running, no jumping, and a three-point underhand granny shot.
• 2.Team sports are considered the single best activity for aging brains. Competitive play engages the prefrontal cortex for decision-making and the hippocampus for memory, while group movement simultaneously delivers social benefits that help stave off dementia and Alzheimer's.
• 3.Loneliness is described as an epidemic uniquely dangerous for older adults. Older people face physical ailments, shrinking social circles, and unstructured retirement time — making community-based sports a critical intervention for mental health and well-being.
• 4.Granny Basketball redefines retirement by providing purpose, sisterhood, and forward momentum. Players include doctors, teachers, park rangers, and musicians aged 50 to 85+, united by travel, mutual support, and relationships they say they never would have formed otherwise.