Pickleball wins national championship for third year in a row fastest growing Sports. Selena Gomez “dinks” regularly, as does Jenna Bush Hager. Even Michael Phelps traded his swimming paddle for a pickleball paddle.
Why not?Pickleball can improve your ability cardiovascular system We stay healthy by being on the court at least three times a week and playing together. sufficient strength — Around >75% of maximum heart rate.Also useful for practice agile and hand-eye coordinationBoth decrease with age.
But despite its benefits, pickleball doesn't build much muscle. Also, depending on how hard you play, you may not be able to achieve the recommended amount of weekly cardio.
“When you look at Serena Williams and see how strong she is, it's easy to think it's because of tennis,” said Jasmine Marcus, a physical therapist and strength coach in Ithaca, New York. That's because of the strength training she does.” court. ”
Is pickleball enough?
Even if you weren't very active before you started gaming, experts say you can improve your strength and fitness to some extent by playing a few times a week. But he'll probably plateau in about eight weeks.
“When you play, your arms and legs get a little stronger, but they quickly plateau,” Dr. Marcus says. “You need to continually challenge your body with more resistance.”
The same appears to be true for cardiovascular fitness. Pickleball can improve that at first, but a beginner or intermediate doubles game probably doesn't have enough movement to meet the guidelines. Centers for Disease Control and Preventionrecommends 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise per week.
“Pros probably build their cardiorespiratory endurance by playing,” says Sarah Bowen Shea, a running podcast executive in Portland, Oregon, who runs six to eight hours a day. I don't know how athletic I am overall.” A week of pickleball. “There’s a lot of start and stop and waiting on the court between games.”
So in addition to strength training, Shea incorporates running and swimming into her workout rotation. That's a smart approach, says Scott Fliegelman, a top-ranked professional pickleball player in the over-50 division and owner of Boulder Pickleball in Boulder, Colorado.
“I'm a big fan of supplemental hiking for athletes who don't get enough cardiovascular stress on the court,” he said. “It's a great way to build the basic cardiovascular fitness you need to play for long periods of time without gasping for breath between each point.”
Create a more comprehensive pickleball workout.
Rebecca Stewart, a personal trainer and coach in St. Paul, Minn., said players should supplement pickleball with strength training at least twice a week for a more balanced fitness level. . Another option is to do strength training on the court between games.
“The goal should be to gradually load the muscles,” she says. Her strength training twice a week looks the same on both days, but mix up your chosen exercises each day to challenge your body.
A good pickleball supplement routine includes the following moves and takes about 30 to 45 minutes to complete, according to Stewart. You can start with bodyweight training, but aim to increase the weight over time. Try doing 3-4 sets of 6-12 reps. Once you can easily do 10 reps, increase the weight or resistance.
lower body work
-
Squats (whether traditional back squats or more difficult split squats) strengthen your legs and glutes, train your balance, and help prevent falls on the court.
-
Lunges work a variety of muscles and address power imbalances in your lower body.front, back, side, or Bow and rush forwardor all four.
upper body work
core work
bonus works
If you still have time, add some movements to prevent injury.
-
Balance movements, such as marching on one leg or standing on one leg for 30 seconds to 1 minute, reduce the likelihood of falls. Once it becomes easy, try closing your eyes.
-
Power moves like jump squats, dumbbell snatches, medicine ball slams, skaters, and side shuffles will help you reach the ball more easily without falling or injuring yourself.
cardiovascular training
Depending on how much pickleball you play and the intensity of it, you may be meeting the aerobic exercise recommendations. Stewart said if you get exhausted after one game, you need to work on your endurance outside of pickleball. If you can't sprint to hit a shot, you probably need more speed.
To increase your endurance, try hiking, walking, biking, running, or swimming for 30 to 60 minutes twice a week. To increase your speed, try some form of interval training twice a week. After a 5-10 minute warm-up, alternate between 30-second sprints and 30-60 seconds of rest, repeating 4-8 times.
Pickleball intensity and duration are very personal, so supplement depending on your level of play, frequency, and mood. But with proper training, you'll feel better on and off the court.
Amanda Loudin is a freelance writer covering health and science.
