More Than a Game: The Mental and Physical Health Benefits of Pickleball

Pickleball is a fun way to stay active, but you already know that. What you might not know is that pickleball provides a host of other mental and physical health benefits every time you play--as if you needed any other reasons to grab your paddle and hit the court.

Mental Health Benefits

Improved Mood

Regular exercise has been proven to improve our mood and keep anxiety and depression at bay, and pickleball is no exception to that rule. Physical activity releases endorphins, which make us happy. And, as a bonus, if you play outside, sunshine makes us feel good, too!

Social Interaction

Whether you play singles or doubles, you’ll be interacting with at least one other person in order to play pickleball. Socializing with others every once in a while is key to maintaining a positive state of mental health, but even the small act of smiling at another person has been shown to release some happy chemicals.

It’s Enjoyable

Last but not least, pickleball is simply a form of enjoyable exercise. Doing something fun is bound to make us happy, and taking a break from our normal routine and responsibilities is important and beneficial.

Physical Health Benefits

Hand-Eye Coordination

In order to receive and hit the ball, you need to have some level of hand-eye coordination. The more you play, the better your hand-eye coordination will get. Developing a stronger sense of hand-eye coordination is helpful not only in the sport, but also in our daily lives, as we use this skill more than we might realize.

Agility

Pickleball can require some fancy footwork as you move quickly around the court in all directions throughout the game. This ability to move quickly and easily and to think and understand quickly (like to anticipate an opponent’s move) is known as agility, which is a skill that will certainly be acquired through regular pickleball play. 

Endurance

Pickleball is a cardio-heavy sport, also known as an aerobic exercise, which means that your heart rate and breathing are increased during the exercise. This type of exercise strengthens your heart and improves your stamina, allowing you to sustain activity for longer periods of time. This is beneficial for sport and exercise, but also for activities as simple as taking a walk with your dog or cleaning your house. 

We know we don’t have to tell you twice that playing pickleball is a great idea, but these mental and physical health benefits definitely sweeten the deal.