During office visits, I always ask my patients if they exercise. Lately, many of them reply, “Yes! I play pickleball!”
This isn’t surprising, since an estimated 36.5 million pickleball players are currently active in the U.S. Pickleball — a racquet sport combining elements of ping-pong, tennis, and badminton — is starting to rival golf, tennis, and basketball with weekend warriors.
Why is pickleball the new recreational sport of choice for so many people of all ages?
- It’s relatively low-impact and not as physically demanding as many other sports.
- Its basic rules can be picked up fairly quickly.
- It can be as competitive or non-competitive as players want it to be.
- As a team sport, it’s a satisfying social activity.
As social creatures, we crave interactions that release beneficial serotonin to our brains. We seek out activities like pickleball that let us engage with others in a fun way — and give us the bonus of feeling healthy and active.
But social benefits aside, is pickleball good exercise?
Is Pickleball Good Exercise?
How good is pickleball as exercise? It depends on an individual’s fitness level, intensity of play, and time spent playing.
Do you break a sweat when you play, or do you barely get your heart rate up? You don’t need to be overly competitive to get a decent workout, but ideally, you should elevate your heart rate to a moderate-to-vigorous zone that delivers cardiovascular benefits.
Pickleball requires agility and quick reflexes and calls for a fair amount of movement — dodging, darting, running, or quick walking — to reach the ball. For an optimum workout, move around the court and actively chase the ball rather than staying stationary and waiting for the ball to find you.
The longer your game or the more intense your rallies, the more stamina you build and the more calories you burn.
Some people also like to sip an alcoholic beverage while they play. A drink or two may make the social aspect of pickleball more fun, but it impedes an optimum workout and may set the stage for injury.
Watch Out for Injury
At Priority Physicians, we’ve seen a few injuries among pickleball-playing patients.
This is especially true with our 50+-year-old members who haven’t played a sport in several years but suddenly want to push their body’s boundaries by competing against 20-somethings.
We often find that our older athletes don’t warm up properly or overextend themselves by chasing the ball during the game. So, many of the injuries we see are musculoskeletal — for example, sprained ankles or overuse injuries to the elbow that resemble chronic tennis elbow.
Playing Safely
Is pickleball good exercise? If you love the game and want to enjoy regular sets with friends, weigh the risks vs. benefits of playing regularly.
Here’s our advice to stay strong and play safely:
- Understand what you’re getting into. Observe a few games and attend some practice sessions, so you know the game’s potential demands on your body.
- Make stretching a part of your daily routine. Regular and proper stretching is good for everyone, regardless of age, to maintain flexibility and range of motion.
- To cross-train and avoid burnout, practice other forms of cardio as well. Walk or run regularly or take a mix of fitness classes.
- Perform resistance exercises to strengthen muscles and reduce the chance of muscular damage at game time.
- To improve your pickleball performance, be prepared to play consistently, with occasional recovery days. Taking off for long stretches of time is a good way to fall out of practice and encourage injury.
See You on the Court!
Pickleball can be a great workout and a positive addition to your lifestyle.
Are you asking yourself, “Is pickleball good exercise for me?” Are you already playing? Or are you thinking of adding the game to your routine?
At Priority Physicians, we’ll help you take a smart approach to pickleball so you avoid injury while you build fitness. Give us a call to chat.
