Cardiovascular Health Benefits Of Pickleball

September 18, 2023

Pickleball is similar to tennis, as both sports include using a tool to hit a ball over a net. However, pickleball is considered the less strenuous and less intense version of tennis. Rather than using a racket to hit a hard ball over the net, players use a paddle to hit a plastic ball with perforation over the net. It is a popular sport for many older individuals, and it is not just because it is fun. It is also great for health! Pickleball offers many cardiovascular benefits for anyone who plays the sport, regardless of their age. Individuals looking to boost their cardiovascular health should definitely pick up this sport and play regularly.

Reduces Risk Of Heart Attacks And Stroke

Dreamstime

Pickleball reduces an individual's risk of heart attacks and stroke by improving their cardiovascular health significantly. When individuals play regularly, their heart becomes stronger and healthier. Their heart gets a great workout when their heart rate is up due to running during this game, which helps players live longer and healthier. Pickleball also reduces stress, which can help improve an individual's heart health.

Exercise releases endorphins, which create a feeling of happiness. When individuals feel happy, their stress level lowers and their overall health improves. Less stress means more good days, a better mood, and a lot of good health benefits. When the body is stronger and the heart is healthier, it is less likely for strokes or heart attacks to occur. When individuals lower their risk of heart attacks and strokes, they also minimize their risk of needing heart surgery to repair arteries or place stints as they age.

Lowers Blood Pressure

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When the heart is stronger, it is able to pump more blood without as much effort. Blood pressure rises when it takes the heart more energy to pump the blood, and it can cause serious long-term health effects. A patient's arteries experience a significant force when their blood is pumping and their heart is working too hard. The less the heart has to work to pump blood, the less pressure the arteries face.

It is this pressure that causes an individual's blood pressure to rise and health to decline. High blood pressure can cause a myriad of other health problems as well. Lowering blood pressure can be done in many ways, but regular exercise, such as through playing pickleball, can help lower it without medication. Eating a healthy diet and making positive lifestyle changes is all it takes to help individuals lower their blood pressure tremendously.

Helps With Weight Loss

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Pickleball might not seem like it is a sport that helps with weight loss, but it is. It might not involve the same level of exertion as tennis, but players are still moving their body when they play. Playing this sport allows the body to burn calories, which helps individuals maintain or even lose weight. When individuals are at a healthy weight for their size, build, and age, they will find there are several other health benefits. They will sleep better at night because physical activity helps. They will also have more energy throughout the day because physical activity provides it. Individuals are also more inclined to make healthier eating choices when they are physically active, and they are also less likely to suffer from health problems such as depression, anxiety, and cardiovascular disease.

Lowers Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol

The Heart Foundation

Playing pickleball, just like other exercises and sports, lowers low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, which is commonly referred to as bad cholesterol. It takes only thirty minutes of moderate exercise five times a week to lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and replace it with good cholesterol, called high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. The more individuals play pickleball, the better they will feel.

When low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels drop, the body begins to work better. The heart becomes stronger and an individual's stress decreases significantly. individuals will find they are more alert, their memory is better, and will feel better throughout the day than they did in the past. Combined with a healthy diet and other positive lifestyle changes, playing pickleball can keep low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels down permanently without taking medication.

Boosts Overall Heart Function

Fort Thomas Matters

Playing pickleball, to put it simply, boosts overall heart function. More physical activity increases the heart's ability to pull oxygen from the bloodstream, boosting the heart's ability to work without as much stress as it does when individuals are not active. Feeling winded and struggling to catch a breath when running or doing other serious physical exertions is what occurs due to the heart being unable to pull oxygen as easily. The body becomes stress, and it works on overdrive. It is unpleasant.

The more individuals are active, the more practice their arteries get pumping blood. Each artery has an important job, and a clog in one artery can lead to a heart attack. Essentially, playing pickleball is a great workout for the mind, body, and cardiovascular health, and it is a lot more fun than going to the gym and working out on machines. Physical activity is more than working out with weights or gym equipment. It is anything that gets an individual's blood pumping, raises their heart rate, and helps improve the quality of their life.

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