4 Pickleball Brain Benefits
Pickleball is known to have physical, mental and emotional health benefits including improved cardiovascular health, reduced depression and anxiety, plus increased socialization. The mental impacts of pickleball are greater than you might think, going so far as helping to improve the condition of those with Alzheimer’s and dementia. Regardless of your age or state of health, these effects will provide you with yet another reason to continue picking up the paddle.
1) Pickleball Strengthens Parts of the Brain
Regular exercise helps to strengthen the hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex. The hippocampus is responsible for regulating emotions and storing long-term memory, whereas the prefrontal cortex controls decision-making skills. Pickleball is an aerobic activity that requires planning, decision-making and quick thinking, which makes it a great sport for building up these parts of the brain. Patients with Alzheimer’s or dementia will especially benefit from the low-impact cardio and from the brain-boosting effects of the sport.
2) Pickleball Provides Stimulation
Pickleball challenges the brain through its fast-moving nature. Not only does the ball literally move fast, players are required to think quickly, move at a moment’s notice and perfect their hand-eye coordination. All of these actions continually challenge the brain which improves cognitive function. The longer cognitive function is preserved, the less likely a person is to be diagnosed with dementia or Alzheimer’s, or the less treatment necessary for the illnesses.
3) Pickleball Improves Memory
As noted before, aerobic exercise strengthens the hippocampus, which is responsible for long-term memory. Loss of memory is one of the hallmark symptoms of Alzheimer’s and dementia, so engaging in regular activity, such as pickleball, can help to keep memory intact for a longer period of time. In addition to building up the hippocampus, the nature of pickleball requires that players remember rules, lingo, plays and movements. The more often a person uses this knowledge, the more likely they will keep memory fresh.
4) Pickleball Lowers Social Isolation
Patients with Alzheimer’s or dementia (and all of us during the last year of the pandemic) are at greater risk for social isolation. This is often due to difficulty in remembering faces, names and other pieces of information. Pickleball provides an easy opportunity to get out and socialize with others. Whether it’s played as a singles or a doubles game, at least one other person is required to play successfully. Social interaction is healthy for us all and the social impact of pickleball should not be understated.
The benefits of being a pickler just keep stacking up. It can make you happy, keep you physically fit and even prevent or lessen the effects of certain diseases. We’ve said it once and we’ll say it again--pickleball is more than a sport; it’s part of a lifestyle that encourages emotional, mental and physical wellbeing.
