You’ve probably heard of pickleball, a hot sports trend that became extremely popular during the Covid-19 pandemic. For those unfamiliar with this sport, pickleball is a racket sport played on a small court. The sport can be played as singles, with one person playing against another person, or as doubles, with two teams of two playing one another.
Pickleball has become especially popular among seniors. Pickleball appeals to older adults for a number of reasons. First, pickleball can be a fun social activity. Whether played as singles or doubles, it involves other people and can be a good way to socialize with others and make friends. Socializing with others is important for seniors’ mental and physical health and pickleball can provide a healthy outlet for spending time with others.
Playing pickleball can also be a good way work physical activity into your day because playing pickleball gets players up and moving around. At the same time, the small court helps minimize the amount of running necessary to play the game, making it easier for older adults to play. Hitting the ball with a racket can build hand eye coordination, while moving around the court can improve balance. The lower net and the lightweight plastic ball make pickleball easier on an aging body than a more demanding sport like tennis. This isn’t to say however that playing pickleball is completely risk free. The sport can involve lunging and twisting, making it is possible for players injure themselves. Most pickleball injuries do occur in older players. Pickleball players should be mindful of the possibility for injury and be careful to avoid falls, back injuries, or other muscle or joint injuries or sprains.
Many public parks with tennis courts also have pickleball courts. Check out a park in your community to see if it can accommodate pickleball and get out and play. To learn more about pickleball, including the basics of the game and how the game is played, click here.