As you’ve probably seen in recent media coverage, pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in the country, and seniors are its biggest fans. Consequently, you may have concluded that it wasn’t much of a workout.
There would be no basis for that assumption.
Let’s take a look around.
Is pickleball a good workout?
As you play pickleball, your body must move in all directions with short bursts of physical exertion. Athletes must also be strong, able to coordinate their hands with their eyes, and have endurance. The match is filled with periods when your heart is elevated, and your breathing is constant.
Your heart rate increases then decrease, then increases again. There is a noticeable increase in your breathing rate and fatigue in your muscles.
Cardiovascular exercise is any activity that raises your heart rate and makes your body take in more oxygen.
There is no doubt that pickleball is a great exercise for the cardiovascular system.
Is Pickleball Good Exercise For Cardio Health And Heart Health?
The signs of aging may have begun to show in your 40s and beyond. There is no doubt in my mind.
No matter how many people I tell that I am 30 years old, my 42-year-old body knows the truth.
I’ve never been much of a runner, despite going to the gym and staying active my entire life.
My first question was whether pickleball would provide much cardio benefit when looking into the health benefits. Is it similar to running in terms of cardio benefits?
My answer is obviously a resounding YES since I seldom run over a mile on the treadmill at the gym.
It gets your heart pumping and blood flowing when you run around to hit the ball. The two hours I spend playing pickleball seem to burn more calories than just running on the treadmill for a while.
As I have run at the gym more often and played pickleball more often, my cardio has improved.
As a result of jogging on the treadmill and playing pickleball, I also noticed an improvement in my overall stamina. My health improved as a result of playing pickleball rather than spending time on the treadmill.
Is pickleball good for weight loss and management?
Weight loss is more effective when combined with exercise and good nutrition than when calorie restriction alone is used. There are three stories in Pickleball Magazine about people who lost 70 to 135 pounds by playing pickleball! With pickleball being a workout that burns calories in a similar manner to other cardiovascular activities, it’s safe to say that pickleball can indeed assist in weight management.
Pickleball is especially accessible to people with physical limitations since it is less demanding and taxing on the body than most other sports.
How else can pickleball benefit you?
You can also lose weight and improve your health by participating in physical activity.
Enhances your mood
Endorphins are natural chemicals in your body that trigger positive feelings when you work out. It’s often called “runner’s high” by runners since they are familiar with this sensation.
Socializes more people
Pickleball promotes social activity in a similar way to tennis. The players on the court interact with their opponents, partners, and other players in some way. Friendships formed as a result of these interactions have been shown to enrich lives and improve health in general.
Enhances the function of the musculoskeletal system
Your entire body is required to utilize a lot of muscles while playing pickleball. Motor and musculoskeletal functions improve when these muscles are used. It becomes more difficult to perform daily tasks as we age. The musculoskeletal system has many benefits, including improving flexibility, reducing coronary risk factors, and improving healing.
Anxiety and depression are relieved
Getting more exercise improves our body and brain function. It has been shown that physical activity can improve depression symptoms and reduce anxiety as well.
Enhances coordination and balance
A racket sport such as pickleball or tennis improves a player’s balance and hand-eye coordination. Over time, these functions deteriorate, resulting in issues such as falling or not being able to perform certain movements.
Cognitive decline is reduced
The benefits of exercise as we age can be seen in a reduction in decline. The benefits of participating in sports include reducing physical decline as well as reducing cognitive decline.
Here are some tips to make your play more enjoyable
You’ll soon feel your heart racing and your breathing becoming shallow once you step out onto the court. Playing pickleball should be as enjoyable as possible if you follow a few best practices.
Be sure to drink plenty of liquids
Maintaining your hydration and safety while working out is essential. Water and electrolytes should be consumed frequently as you sweat. Make sure you replenish your body between competitions and don’t get distracted.
Push your fitness limits when you know your level
Pushing your body to its limits is the key to gaining more endurance. Running a marathon before running a 5k is not recommended.
Additionally, you need to recognize when you should rest your body and when you should keep working.
You should play more matches when you can
If you’re only going to live once, you should do the things you’re passionate about to the fullest extent possible. Don’t be afraid to add an additional match (or workout) to your day or week if your body tells you to.
Play both doubles and singles
The distance you must cover when playing singles is greater than when playing doubles. Sometimes, however, you may want to switch it up to keep your body healthy. Play some doubles if you can (while still getting a great workout) to give your body a bit of a break from singles. Playing singles as often as you can push your body to its limits. If you typically play doubles, you may want to give singles a try. In order to maximize the benefits of pickleball, you have to listen to your body and know when you still have more to give.
You may enjoy reading Pickleball Doubles Strategies
Is There A Low Impact Benefit To Pickleball And Your Health?
The joints in your knees, shoulders, and elbows may start to hurt as you age, regardless of how fit you are. As I did, you might have suffered from back pain for a while.
You won’t be able to stop yourself from playing pickleball if you’re smart and listen to your body.
There is no doubt that competition puts a lot of stress on the bodies of even the best tennis players, such as Serena Williams and Novak Djokovic.
There is no need to use such force in pickleball. Pickleball is a great sport for seniors because of its lightweight ball and paddle.
Final Thoughts
There is no age limit or fitness requirement to play pickleball. Nonetheless, it is an effective workout, so it doesn’t count as silly. A pickleball court is not easy, and anyone who says that it isn’t good exercise probably hasn’t ever played it.
Don’t give a damn about those people. Let yourself experience pickleball’s health benefits for yourself by playing more matches.
