— Pickleball Benefits —
Pickleball has many benefits. It’s less taxing than tennis — you don’t have to hit the ball as hard or run as far to reach it, which is easier on the knees. Overhead serves are not allowed in pickleball, which is good for tight shoulders. The fast pace of the game (like table tennis) requires a lot of eye-hand coordination, which keeps thinking skills sharp, and lateral (side-to-side) motion, which boosts balance and strength. The sport engages your leg, core, arm, and shoulder muscles, and it’s a weight-bearing activity, which is good for your bones.
The pickleball play-style reinforces hitting the ball from below the waist, rather than high in the air, which significantly reduces joint and muscle strain. A single game can also be completed in about 15 minutes, so even players with limited stamina can enjoy a fun round of pickleball.
As a social sport, pickleball can powerfully boost your mood and cognition. Playing pickleball engages multiple areas of the brain. As you play, you’ll need to plan your moves, respond to the opposing team’s strategy, and coordinate with your partner. This sport can help you maintain excellent mental acuity, along with the vascular benefits of exercise (physical activity increases the flow of blood and oxygen to the brain).
Pickleball looks (and feels) easy, but it still burns a lot of calories. As we get older, maintaining a healthy weight becomes more challenging, for a few reasons. Most people experience a slow decline in their basal metabolic rate (the number of calories their bodies burn while at rest) after age 40, which makes it easy to gain unwanted weight, even if you don’t change your diet. When paired with a healthy diet, regular pickleball sessions can help you get rid of this age-related weight gain by increasing the number of calories you burn every week. A single half-hour pickleball session can burn up to 300 calories, putting its calorie-burning power on par with higher-impact activities like cycling and jogging. The engaging, social nature of pickleball is also highly beneficial for weight loss. Because playing pickleball feels recreational (and not like a chore), people are much more likely to stick with it over the long term. Let’s face it – a great game of pickleball is way more fun than running on a treadmill for half an hour!
— Pickleball Risks —
Pickleball, like any sport, has some possible risks and drawbacks including the following:
Ankle injuries – A quick change of direction or lateral motion could cause an ankle strain (an overstretched Achilles tendon) or an ankle sprain (a tear of the anterior talofibular ligament on the front and outside of the ankle).
Knee injuries – Lateral motion can also lead to a knee sprain — a tear in the medial collateral ligament, which supports the inner side of the knee.
Leg muscle injuries – Taking big strides with tight hamstrings (in the back of the thighs) could cause strains or tears in those muscles.
Elbow injuries – Twisting your wrist repeatedly as you prepare to hit the ball with your paddle can cause tiny tears in a tendon in your forearm. The inflammation, tenderness, and pain in the elbow (where the tendon attaches) are characteristic of lateral epicondylitis, informally known as tennis elbow.
Shoulder strains – Reaching up for an overhead shot may lead to a tear in the rotator cuff (the group of tendons and muscles that helps you raise and rotate your arm).
Falls and fractures – Taking quick steps backward to hit the ball may cause you to lose your balance. When we fall, we put our hands out for protection. It’s a natural reaction. But you can break your wrist. During the game, don’t risk any falls. Don’t scoot backward to get to the ball if your partner is closer and can get the shot.
— What you should do —
With your doctor’s OK (especially necessary if you have heart, endurance, or balance problems), prepare for pickleball by wearing the right clothing (shorts, not loose pants that can make you trip), shoes (court sneakers, not running shoes), and goggles to protect your eyes from fast-flying balls.
Before playing, warm up your muscles with five minutes of brisk walking around the pickleball court. This gets blood flowing to your muscles and makes them more amenable to the demands you’re about to place on them.
After the game, stretch your muscles. Focus on your hamstrings, calf muscles, hips, shoulders, and wrists. Choose appropriate stretches and hold for at least 30 seconds. Stretching will keep your muscles long and flexible, which will help prevent injuries the next time you’re on the pickleball court for fun and friendly competition.
Please check out Fitness Corner to read up on importance of Warm-Up and Cool-Down 😎