Danica Patrick, one of the most successful female drivers in NASCAR history, reached great heights during her career. Her most significant achievement came when she became the first female driver to win a pole in the Cup Series.
While she has several other accomplishments, the retired driver has decided to take her talents to another sport — and potentially live a longer, healthier life.
Danica Patrick Takes Up Tennis in Her Pursuit of a Healthier Lifestyle
Barring a few exceptions, athletes tend to maintain a healthy lifestyle even after retiring from their sport. And since stepping away from racing in 2018, Patrick has done the same.
The 42-year-old remains in peak physical condition and has now decided to take things to the next level. In a now-deleted Instagram story, Patrick revealed she had started taking tennis lessons while sharing a video discussing the benefits of racket sports.
According to the study in the video, racket sports, along with basketball and soccer, are believed to help increase life expectancy — though tennis stands out the most.
NeuroGlobe reports that the coordination techniques used in tennis activate the cerebellum, which carries about 90% of the brain’s neurons. Once activated, the rest of the brain also becomes engaged.
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Playing tennis for 30 minutes twice a week can significantly improve cognitive function, as the brain makes multiple calculations while tracking the ball.
A 2018 Forbes study based on research from Denmark also found that people who regularly played tennis had a higher life expectancy. The study concluded that compared to a sedentary lifestyle, playing tennis could extend life expectancy by 9.7 years. While other sports offer health benefits, tennis was the clear leader.
Tennis isn’t the only sport Patrick has taken up, though, since retiring from NASCAR. She has also developed an interest in golf, a fascination that started two years ago.
In one of her social media posts, Patrick revealed she began playing golf nearly two years ago, though it remained a seasonal hobby. She also shared that the sport became an alternative when skiing wasn’t an option due to warm weather.
Last fall, Patrick noted that she briefly forgot how to use her driver club, only to regain the skill mysteriously a few days later.