The Undeniable Health Benefits Of Playing Pickleball

Imagine if a potential solution existed for ailments such as sarcopenia, heart disease, isolation, obesity, and overall declining health into the adult years of our lives. Well, look no further than pickleball, the sport and social event currently being played by over 3.1 million Americans country-wide and becoming increasingly popular with time.

One of the main reasons pickleball has gained so much traction with adults seeking out regular physical exercise is for its incredible health benefits. Keep reading to find out just a few of the many health benefits of pickleball!

Muscle Maintenance & Strengthening

Sarcopenia is the word used to describe the loss of skeletal muscle mass; adults and the ageing population are especially susceptible. Pickleball provides a weight-bearing activity that requires you to utilize your whole body to play, making it an excellent option for those who are looking to maintain and even increase their existing muscle mass!

Cardiovascular Health

Cardiovascular diseases are the number one cause of death globally, and thus critically important to be taken care of for everyone — and especially those who may not be as physically active due to time commitments or otherwise. The benefits of pickleball lie in its ability to get your heart rate up as you play, increasing overall physical fitness and lowering the risk for cardiovascular disease over time.

Improved Balance & Coordination

Pickleball requires you to use a ping-pong like a paddle and hit a ball back and forth over a court (similar to tennis). Both the footwork and hand-eye-coordination practice that pickleball offers to players are excellent for those wishing to keep their balance and agility skills sharp!

Cognitive Function

Isolation is one of the main problems associated with the ageing population, and this can lead to emotional and mood issues as well as neurological disorders such as depression. Not only this, but continuously sedentary lifestyles are not conducive to brain health, and so participation in something that is not only a sport but a fun, exciting social event that has the potential to be endlessly beneficial.

Exercise also encourages the release of endorphins; these are also known as the chemicals to cause a “Runner’s High”, improving the mood of the individual and helping to decrease overall stress.

Weight Management

Managing a healthy weight may become more challenging into adulthood when you find yourself busy with work, children, family, and trying to maintain a social life. As a result of this increasingly normalized struggle, obesity has become one of the most prevalent conditions in the United States population, affecting just over 40% of the adult population. Pickleball provides an answer to not only weight management, but also all in turn to the conditions that are inexplicably linked with having a BMI that is categorized as “obese”; heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes, to name a few.

Pickleball provides an opportunity for a fun, social, and physically challenging way to improve not only your physical and mental health but also your self-confidence! Now that you’re aware of the amazing health benefits of pickleball, why not try it out and see them for yourself?