10 Amazing Health Benefits Of Playing Pickleball

Pickleball: The Fastest-Growing and Healthiest Sport

By the year 2030, the number of Americans over the age of 65 is estimated to reach 70 million, and adults over 85 will be the fastest growing segment of the US population. As we turn our attention to the many impacts this will have on all aspects of American society, it is increasingly important that we make those later years as vital, healthy, and enjoyable as possible. We do not want an aging population that spends the last decades of their lives sick, dependent, in pain, and unhappy.

Advantages of Playing Pickleball

Adults over 65 should include moderate physical activity in their daily routine to maintain or improve health. Pickleball is a great option. For optimal benefits, aim for 150 minutes of moderate activity per week, which can be done in 20-minute sessions or two 10-minute intervals daily. Shorter intervals offer fewer cardiovascular benefits.

Essential Pickleball Gear You Need to Get Started

In order to start playing pickleball you will need the following:

Pickleball Shoes: A good pair of proper fitting shoes is key! A lot of people have worn tennis shoes for nearly everything BUT tennis. When starting out in pickleball, we tell people your SHOES ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT piece of pickleball equipment you’ll buy.

Physical Activity Studies

A wide range of studies have shown that the best way to ensure health in longevity is to regularly engage in physical activity. Even moderate exercise has been shown to improve all aspects of health with virtually no negative side effects, and the body remains trainable and adaptable into the 80s and 90s.

Pickleball For Seniors

Among activities recommended to improve health in older adults, Pickleball has received a lot of attention. Pickleball is a popular sport and growing sport, played by almost 6 million in the US and more recently people all over the world are picking up the sport.

Pickleball Enhances Aerobic Fitness

One study proved that tennis players had higher maximum oxygen uptake, compared with normally active non-tennis playing control participants. Another showed that in sedentary, middle-aged volunteers, playing tennis 3 times a week for 30 minutes at a time over 20 weeks improved their endurance by 5.7%.

Can Pickleball Help Improve Hyperlipidemia?

Among a group of male senior tennis players aged 40-60+ who were compared with moderately active age-matched controls, there were no differences for overall cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, or triglycerides. However, the tennis players overall had an average of HDL cholesterol of .21mmol greater than the controls. The 60+ year old tennis players had an average HDL cholesterol .

Pickleball Improves And-Eye Coordination

Racket sports in general have been showed to improve hand-eye coordination, specially with people that play regularly over a longer period of time. Improving coordination can have positive benefits that overflow in to other aspects of life such as overall ability to execute daily tasks and improves reaction times.

Pickleball Is Highly Social

Social isolation is associated with a wide array of health risks and emotional difficulties. Pickleball involves regular, healthful, enjoyable interactions which not only alleviate isolation, but make the game more engaging and encourage regular participation. These are many of the reasons why Pickleball is an ideal source of physical activity and enjoyment for older adults.