5HT: 5 Healthyish Things, including the healthiest sport and my longevity protocol

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I've been getting more into tennis and playing with my wife on weekends. She started a few years ago, took a break while pregnant with our youngest, and is now back at it—competing in two leagues in Austin. She plays nearly every day… and I join her on Saturday mornings. Watching her enthusiasm (and her backhand) inspires me—annnd makes me want to improve my own, obviously.

I’m not the only one getting into it, either. Tennis (not to be confused with its popular oddball cousin, pickleball) is being called the world's healthiest sport. The more I play, the more I see why—and the science rallies in support.

The most compelling data comes from the Copenhagen City Heart Study, which found some sports are linked to longer life expectancies. Tennis players had the biggest gain, living nearly a decade longer (!) than non-players. (FWIW, badminton came in second with an average of 6.2 years, which wouldn’t have been on my bingo card—and also always reminds me of the shuttlecock 😆.) 

Obviously, exercise is good for you, but there are some reasons why tennis is extra good: 

So, what makes tennis such an ace? With all the sprinting, stopping, and pivoting, tennis is basically a HIIT workout in disguise. Those split-second decisions double as a brain workout 🧠, too—and are linked to faster decision-making in junior players. And the lateral movements build agility and balance, which matters more as you age and the risk of falling increases. Basically, tennis keeps you young. 💪

But exercise schmexercise, it’s probably the community factor that really makes it one of the biggest boons to longevity. Research consistently shows social connection is vital for longevity—and tennis is inherently social. According to a USTA National study, tennis players reported significantly higher levels of social support compared to non-players. (Game, set, match… literally.)

This rare combination of high-intensity movement paired with strong social connection makes tennis a longevity dream. Compared to other sports, it’s also relatively low-risk. Tennis ranked first ☝ for safety in a comparison of the 10 most popular high school team sports.

​And perhaps most importantly: it’s fun! Not only does it help alleviate stress, but it also keeps you coming back 🔄 to compound the benefits. Mastering tennis requires patience and practice, but anyone can enjoy playing for fun. I may not be a pro tennis player, but I am very pro tennis. I hope I will be able to play forever (and keep my pun game strong, too).

I used to think I was just lucky for not getting sick often. Even when my girls were first starting school, somehow those preschool sniffles always eluded me. But after recently digging into gut health and building my understanding of the gut-immune connection, I realized I’d actually been supporting my immunity from the inside for years (!).

Turns out, a lot of my healthyish habits in play—like prioritizing sleep, managing stress, and eating more fiber—are all levers that can protect you against cold and flu season (which, ugh, is basically back). But my strongest lever has probably been Seed Health’s DS-01®, which has been a part of my stack for 5+ years. (Seed also just launched a new line of Co-Biotics, which is cool!)

When I dug deeper into gut health, I learned your gut microbiome naturally trains and tunes your immune system—regulating how your body responds to potential invaders. And Seed Health’s DS-01® is packed with specific strains that support gastrointestinal immunity and help your body pull off ninja-like defense moves 🥷 when pathogens show up, like:

Pretty cool right? If you also want to boost your immunity from the inside out, take this quiz to see if Seed is right for you. Oh—and 5HT readers get 25% off! 🙌

Also not only do I genuinely love Seed, but y'all do, too—every time I mention it in 5HT, it's the #1 clicked link!

ICYMI: I’ve put up all of the protocols I’ve been sharing in 5HT here so you can refer to them all in one place. This week, I’m adding my longevity protocol—aka everything I’m doing to live a longer, more healthyish life. 😌

Diagnostics & Tracking

You can’t improve what you don’t measure—buuut you also don’t need to test everything. These are the ones that matter most to me for catching issues early.

Clinical Interventions 

These are the providers that keep me proactive, not reactive.

Wearables & Home Devices

These help me translate my daily behavior into data—and that data into better decisions.

Recovery, Regeneration, & Cognitive/Brain Health

My longevity plan is only as good as my recovery routine, and this one’s a WIP.

Communities & Content

Longevity isn’t a solo pursuit. There’s so much to learn from people shaping the field—and these are my go-to resources.

Food & Nutrition

If longevity starts anywhere, it’s in the gut. I do my best to eat whole foods that make my body happy, add supplements that fill the gaps, and track what helps me feel my best.

Fitness, Training, and Mobility

Movement is medicine—and a big part of my longevity plan. I doo most of it right at home (or, more accurately, my garage). See my at-home fitness protocol for the breakdown!

I know a lot of you read 5HT to get my healthyish products recs (and all my witty quips 😏), but it’s worth saying I get a lot of recs from you, too! Recently, a 5HT reader (and PR person) emailed me about the GIBBON Balance SlackBoard. 

I got it (disclaimer: for free, though this is not an ad) and have actually been using it during workouts to mix things up a bit. Let me tell you… Lifting 45 pounds while balancing on this board is not easy 😅—but it is a good way to activate my core and strengthen my leg stability. Peer-review this pic:

Also, my girls have been using the kiddo version and lovinggg it. The GIBBY bundle is designed to make emotional regulation fun. The bundle comes with a board (my littlest’s fave), stuffy (my oldest’s fave), and storybook (my fav).

So, would I recommend this? I think it’s a weird product, tbh. But it’s added a fun new wrinkle to my workouts that the BOSU ball can’t and my kiddos have genuinely loved playing with it. Worth a look!

Moral of the story: Don’t be shy! Send me what you’re using, what you’re loving, and what you returned ASAP. Hit reply and share your favorites Orrr, better yet, join our 5HT+ Slack channel and share your recs with a group of 100+ healthyish humans!

Okay, you now know what I’m curious about—but here’s what everyone else is Googling, according to a few trusty platforms.

👋 Who are you again? I’m Derek Flanzraich—founder of two venture-backed startups in Greatist (👍) and Ness (👎). I’ve worked with brands like GoodRx, Parsley, Midi, Ro, NOCD, and Peloton. I now run Healthyish Content, a premium health content & SEO agency (among other things).

Every Thursday, I share 5 health things I feel strongly about so you can live healthyish. (Disclaimer: I’m more your friend with health benefits. None of this is medical advice.) 

And oh, you also feel strongly about some health things? Hit reply—I’d love to hear it.