Pickleball is incredible exercise!

People talk about something being a great workout all the time but what does that actually mean?  According to the Harvard Medical School, the best exercise program will incorporate both aerobic and strength training.

That means that Pickleball can do a lot for you, it can help you get your heart rate up and burn calories.  In fact, pickleball generates about the highest calorie burn per hour you can get from exercise if you’re playing competitively – as much as 8-10 calories/minute.  The truth is that if you play for a couple hours, without standing around too long between games, you can burn as much as 1000 calories – and have fun doing it!

Speaking of standing around – be careful playing pickleball – try not to do too much of this between games.  Warm up a little first and stretch – primarily afterwards.  Consider also some strength exercises specifically for the lunging, twisting and side to side movements of this game.  This is a great way to improve your game without even working on your game.  Getting into the net a second or even half a second faster will allow you to take that high ball out of the air for a winner v. short hopping it because you’re still making your way in.

Personally, I love yoga for flexibility and strength on my off days or in between days.  Truth be told I use a home video series called the Daily Burn that I think is awesome for this.  I say “home video” because I know I’m about as flexible as a 2x4 so I do it at home.  Before and after pickleball, I spend just a few minutes going through a Vinyasa of up dog, down dog and child’s pose.  I find this a very efficient way to get to the key areas: calves, hips, lower back, etc.

If you do play pickleball and you don’t want to spend 6 months sitting on the sideline because you pulled or wrenched something, do yourself a favor and warm up a little and cool down a little.  You will not only get to more balls and win more points, but you’ll hopefully avoid a sidelining injury! Happy pickling.