Pickleball: Healthy for All Ages!
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Pickleball is a fun, social way to get exercise. It’s easy to learn with lower risk for injury and it has many physical and mental health benefits. Here is how pickleball can improve your well-being!
PHYSICAL HEALTH BENEFITS Cardio Pickleball is an aerobic exercise, increasing your breathing and heart rate, known as “cardio.” Along with strengthening your heart, cardio improves your stamina, enabling you to perform other physical activities. You use specific muscles when you play pickleball -- arms, shoulders and legs are the power sources. A low-impact sport, pickleball has relatively few injuries because there is almost no impact, making it easy on your body. Coordination Because players need to react quickly, pickleball will improve hand-eye coordination. Playing pickleball can also improve your agility. Watching the ball, reaching it and hitting it back gets your whole body moving and coordinates all your faculties. Along with improved agility and coordination comes better balance. 
Playing a game at the Wellington courts
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MENTAL HEALTH BENEFITS
Relieves Stress Physical activity releases endorphins in your brain, which are chemicals that relieve stress and pain. Playing the sport can help you mentally relax while you’re working out. Pickleball is easy to learn after three or four games in a single session, so beginners and advanced players can play the sport quickly and without a lot of stress. And, while some people play competitively, many others find it incredibly fun without the added tension of keeping score. It’s a Social Sport With pickleball, you need other people to play. You can make new friends and bond over a shared love for the sport, or connect with old friends while getting exercise! OTHER BENEFITS
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From kids through adulthood ...
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For Children and Young Adults
If your child isn’t excited about playing a game or is frustrated that he/she doesn’t understand it, pickleball is a good choice for them! Pickleball is easy to learn and play, so it isn’t intimidating. Pickleball is good for several ranges of mobility, and its rules are quickly picked up by players. Other benefits:
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For Older Adults
A pickleball court is small enough that you don’t need to move much to hit the ball, especially if you’re playing doubles. Other benefits: Lowers the Risk of Heart Disease According to a study in the International Journal of Research in Exercise Physiology, middle-aged and older adults who played one hour of pickleball three days per week for six weeks improved their blood pressure, cholesterol and cardiorespiratory fitness levels. Improving heart health is significant, as a large number of adults have elevated cholesterol levels, hypertension, or low cardiorespiratory endurance, which puts them at increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Reduces the Risk of Depression Exercise in general is a proven mood booster, and pickleball is no exception. One recent study found that older adults who played in pickleball tournaments had a lower risk of depression. Pickleball Makes Exercise Fun! One of the reasons people become pickleball “addicts” is that they can meet their fitness goals while enjoying companionship. It’s a two-for-one workout! If you spend 60 minutes at the gym it usually feels like 60 minutes. If you are doing something enjoyable – like laughing and talking during pickleball – you’ll wonder how the 60 minutes fly by! Pickleball just might be the one physical activity that people can stick to. It’s a Great Connector: Feel Less Lonely Pickleball is a great social outlet because you play with a partner or partners. For some people, it can be the only socializing they enjoy in a week. Stay Independent Longer Older adults who play pickleball regularly might improve their reflexes and balance, which can help them live independently for longer. People can also improve their range of motion, which can help minimize arthritis symptoms that prevent them from performing everyday tasks with ease. |
In Wellington, pickleball is a great connector!
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