The data shows that the average age of participants is now 35 years old, and that younger players join each year.
“People of all ages are now practicing it, including celebrities like Taylor Swift, George Clooney, Leonardo DiCaprio and Billie Eilish,” says Emily Hemendinger, a psychiatrist and clinical director of outpatients at the University of Colorado’s Anschutz Medical Campus. . Even star athletes such as Patrick Mahomes, Serena Williams, LeBron James and Tom Brady have made their love for the sport public.
Regardless of its fad or newfound fame, pickleball provides major social and mental health benefits. On the one hand, because the game is not limited by age or gender, it is known to improve social life by bringing people from different backgrounds together.
“Men often play against women, and children often play with their parents and grandparents, a dynamic that doesn’t necessarily occur in other sports or activities, which certainly makes pickleball unique,” says scientist Lance Dalleck. of exercise and sports at Western Colorado University (United States).
“These benefits are especially important among older people, as they are more likely to be isolated and suffer from depression and anxiety,” says Hemendinger.
In fact, one study measured multiple levels of connectedness among seniors and found that “the highest levels of connectedness were in those who played pickleball several times a month for at least a year,” explains Michael Fredericson, a physician and director of the division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Stanford University (USA).
“Pickleball helps cognitive functions like reaction times, cognitive flexibility, and complex thinking,” says Hemendinger. This is achieved, he explains, because each fast-paced match requires players to maintain several concepts at once, such as proper positioning and technique, anticipating where the ball or teammate is going to be, and having to constantly react to the opponent, all taking into account server rotation, court rules and the complex scoring system. “To be successful, you have to consider the big picture and a lot of details,” he says.
Despite these layers of attention and concentration, the social, fun and competitive components of sport have been shown to help people better manage emotions and levels of stress and anxiety.
“We encourage exercise, in part, because it helps release endorphins and hopefully takes our mind off the stressors in our lives,” Edwards explains. He says pickleball accomplishes these goals and more; “making it a useful tool for improving mental health.”
The physical benefits of pickleball are no less striking.
“Pickleball is a great full-body exercise, as it works both the lower and upper extremities,” says Hemendinger.
This includes developing and toning lower body muscles such as the hamstrings, glutes, quadriceps and calves, as well as upper body muscles such as the triceps, pecs, deltoids, erectors spinal and all core muscles. Several muscle groups can be affected “every time you run, jump or move in different directions, because each movement promotes positive adaptations in all body structures,” says Landon Uetz, a physical therapist in Arizona (USA) specializing in the treatment. and training pickleball players.
These movements also improve joint and bone health, and burn between 200 and 300 calories per 30-minute game, 36% more than walking for the same amount of time. Pickleball also gets the blood pumping, as research shows that a person’s average heart rate during a match qualifies the sport as moderate-intensity training, providing “better cardiorespiratory fitness, lower blood pressure, and better fitness.” cholesterol profile,” says study co-author Dalleck.
Edwards also praises pickleball for its help with hand-eye coordination and neuromuscular communication, improving posture and balance. “Eventually, we will be coordinated enough to hit a ball or a shot, and even to spin a serve or a return,” he says.
These advantages are especially beneficial for those over 65, the people most affected by declining activity levels as they age. “The combination of aging and inactivity can accelerate the decline in fitness, which can significantly increase the risk of various chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease,” explains Dalleck.
His research team specifically studied this age group and found that the average elderly participant increased their cardiorespiratory fitness levels by around 12%. “This improvement carries important benefits, since every 10% improvement is equivalent to a 15% reduction in the risk of mortality from cardiovascular diseases,” she explains. It’s one of the reasons, she says, “why middle-aged and older adult populations could potentially benefit the most from taking up an activity or sport like pickleball.”
But it’s not all good news, as injuries related to this sport do occur and, unsurprisingly, they have increased with the increasing number of participants. From 2013 to 2022 in the United States, for example, “there were a total of 12,021 estimated pickleball injuries,” Fredericson says. She states that the wrist is the most common site of injury, accounting for about 70 percent of necessary medical interventions.
Anastasi has treated many pickleball-related injuries, “from simple muscle strains and sprains to shoulder lacerations, fractures and dislocations, and everything in between.” To avoid or reduce these problems, he suggests, “players need relatively good baseline balance, because there is a lot of forward, backward and lateral movement.”
He also recommends wearing appropriate footwear and encourages players to stretch before and after each game.
And since pickleball requires you to hit “a hard polymer ball at speeds between 50 and 65 kilometers per hour, it is recommended to wear protective glasses,” adds Fredericson.
Wertz advises against buying an expensive racket until you learn the game and says you have to be patient with progress. “Although it has a much shorter learning curve than most sports, it can take a few games to get the hang of things, so never be discouraged if you struggle – we’ve all been there.”
Uetz suggests practicing a few times and familiarizing yourself with the basic rules and techniques, then showing up to the courts when others are playing to observe and join in.
“Whether you end up playing for 10 minutes or playing until the sun goes down,” Hemendinger says; “You will most likely get a great workout, both physically and mentally.”