The 5 Best Cardiovascular Exercises to Improve Your Pickleball Game
If you're a regular pickleball player, you are an athlete. As such, improving your fitness level is a great way to improve your quality of life and your pickleball game. Sure, you may not be running 100-meter sprints, getting paid millions to catch a ball, or prepping for the next Olympics. Still, cardiovascular exercise is just as important to you as anyone else.
Today, we're discussing what cardiovascular exercise is, the 5 best exercises you can do, and how those exercises will improve your pickleball game.
What Is Cardiovascular Exercise?
Cardiovascular exercise, or cardio for short, is any activity that increases your heart rate over a period of time. Typically, you can recognize whether or not you are performing a cardiovascular exercise by how heavy you're breathing or how fast your heart is beating. For something to be considered cardio, your heart rate should be at least 50% higher than average, and you should be breathing heavily.
This is important for your body because as you increase your heart rate and oxygen intake, you maximize the amount of oxygen in your blood, which helps you use it more efficiently. Doing this consistently over time will help you challenge your internal organs and improve the performance of your heart, lungs, and circulatory system.
Benefits of Cardiovascular Exercise for Athletes
Performing cardio improves your heart health, mental health, sleep, metabolism, weight regulation, and overall mood. For athletes, this means working the body faster, longer, and more efficiently.
For pickleballers, this means more matches, less time on the sidelines, and better performance on the court.
So, let's take some deep breaths, figure out how to add more cardio to our lives, and improve our athletic ability.
Best Cardio Exercises To Improve Your Pickleball Game
"The best exercise program is the one that works for you and that you will stick to." This is standard advice in the fitness industry for a reason. We'd all love to run like a gazelle or swim like Michael Phelps. But, the reality is that we each need a routine that works for our own fitness level.
Each of these exercises can be (and should be) customized to fit your needs and meet you where you are. And, if done consistently, each will help you improve your cardiovascular system and your pickleball game.
Exercise #1 - Brisk Walks and Stair Stepping
Never underestimate the power of walking. Brisk walks or going up and down stairs are great and simple ways to elevate your heart rate. Even more physically fit people can benefit from adding a brisk walk to their day or taking stairs instead of an elevator.
Examples
Adding a brisk walk is one of the most straightforward exercises to add to your day. Take a trip around your neighborhood, go to a local park, or take the dog out an extra time. Simply pick a time that works best and start as small as you need to. Over time, add an additional block or quarter mile.
If it's not a great day to be outside, you can supplement your walk with a few extra trips up and down the stairs. Keep a mental note or a note on your phone of how many sets you do. Tracking your results over time can be a huge motivator.
Whichever you choose, there are two key things to remember:
● Improving cardiovascular health is about consistency, so stick to it.
● It doesn't count as cardio unless your heart rate is elevated.
If just lightly walking doesn't accomplish an elevated heart rate, then add some pep in your step to really get something out of it.
Benefits
Walking and going up the stairs may not seem like demanding exercises for athletes, but sticking to them will improve endurance during pickleball matches. Also, walking and stair stepping are lighter activities for your joints and strengthen knee and ankle stability. Soon enough, you'll be asking for another match while your opponents are on the sidelines panting.
Exercise #2 - Running Long Distance
For those who have the ability, long-distance running can tremendously improve your cardiovascular system. When you push your body past what it's typically capable of doing, some really awesome things happen.
First, the capillaries in your heart open up more and send extra energy to the working muscles. As the muscles fatigue, waste products get flushed out, and your muscle fibers actually start breaking down. Your muscles then have to work to repair themselves and develop stronger fibers. This allows you to run even longer next time. Also, running long distances trains the body to use fat as fuel. Together, this means you'll gain more muscle and become leaner over time.
Examples
Like we said at the beginning, start where you are currently. If you haven't run long distances before, or it's been a while, you'll need to test your body to see what it can handle. A great place to start might be downloading a 5K app on your phone and following the program. Many of these programs are free, and they do an excellent job of helping you build endurance over time. If you're already used to running 5Ks, maybe it's time to step up to a half or full marathon. Make your doubles partner do it with you!
Benefits
Long-distance running improves endurance, muscles, and even your competitive mentality. Developing stronger muscles in your legs helps you get to balls quicker, run around more, and put more oomph into your shots. Knowing you have something extra in the tank might be precisely what you need to take those extra steps and score that match-winning point.
Exercise #3 - Swimming
Because water is 830 times denser than water, swimming is one of the best cardiovascular exercises. It allows you to work your arms, legs, and core as well as your heart. Water also reduces your body weight by up to 90%, meaning it's much easier than walking or running on your body and joints.
Examples
There are many ways to add swimming as part of your cardio routine. You can do laps at a local pool or take a water aerobics class. Or you can simply walk, jog, or hold onto the side of the pool and kick your legs.
Benefits
In pickleball, you frequently start and stop your body by turning your hips and planting your knees. Over time, this causes extra stress to your knees, shoulders, hips, and other joints. Using swimming as cardio between matches will help ease that stress and keep you on the courts longer in life.
Exercise #4 - Cycling
Cycling, whether at home on a stationary bike or on the road with a bicycle, burns a ton of calories and provides some significant strength training to your lower body. It's also considered a low-impact exercise, meaning your joints will be much happier in the long run.
Examples
Countless programs can get you excited and motivated about cycling. If you have an exercise bike at home that you've been hesitant to use, it's time to dust it off. If you don't have a stationary bike at home, consider using one at the gym or getting out the ol' ten-speed and hitting the pavement. Many parks even have bike share programs for those that can't or don't want to make the investment.
Benefits
As previously stated, complementing your pickleball game with low-impact cardio exercise is a great idea. It doesn't matter if you're younger, older, or in-between. At some point, your joints will need a break. Cycling or riding your bike can provide that relief while also giving you a fantastic workout.
Cycling works your back, glutes, legs, and hips. These are all parts of your body that are engaged while playing pickleball. Your back and hips help you rotate into your shots or turn and get after a ball. Your glutes and legs power your body around the entire court. Cycling can also help ankle and knee stability and strengthen them for planting and exploding.
Exercise #5 - Playing Other Sports
As the saying goes, "Man cannot live on pickleball alone." Okay, maybe no one has ever said that before, but with the popularity of pickleball soaring, it's only a matter of time until someone does (just remember, you heard it here first). Playing other sports between pickleball matches can help you work new muscles, which provides more agility. Playing other sports is also a great way to learn new strategies that you may not have thought of before.
Examples
Besides tennis, there are other sports you can play that can enhance your pickle ball game. Take basketball, for example. It's similar in that you are constantly starting and stopping, planting and exploding off your feet and knees, and twisting your hips. But, it could also enhance arm strength, improve hand-eye coordination, and develop better teamwork. It's also a great cardiovascular workout, even if you're just shooting and chasing the ball around.
Another example is softball, baseball, or Wiffle ball. The sudden starts and stops of fielding and hitting mixed with quick bursts of speed are similar but different.
Whatever sport it is, you want it to complement but not just work the same muscle groups you're already working with pickleball.
Benefits
Besides the physical aspects of mixing in other sports, there are benefits to the mental side of your game, too. Having a variety of activities can decrease the chance of burnout and help you continue fueling your competitive fire. New challenges are always great for helping us learn and become more balanced in our fitness.
Improving your pickleball game doesn't just happen on the courts. Sure, you can practice your backhand or spin serves all day. But if your fitness isn't where it needs to be, then it might not be long until your body tells you it's had enough. And that would be a shame.
