By Kassia Garfield, Owner, MaxStrength Fitness
As most people have seen, pickleball is the fastest growing sport in America, and has been for the last three years! It was invented on Bainbridge Island, Wash., in 1965. According to the National Pickleball Association, there are over 36.5 million people in America that have played pickleball at least once. During the past three years, there has been a 223.5% growth in the sport. Believe it or not, the largest demographic, coming in at 28.8% are 18-34 year olds with males comprising 60.5% of the players. Our state of Florida has the second most locations to play pickleball, beaten only by California.
Racket sports overall increase a person’s longevity. Tennis has the best return on investment, prolonging life by 9.7 years, more than any other sport. (But, pickleball stats are yet to come out!) To give some context, badminton extends life 6.2 years, soccer 4.7 years, cycling 3.7 years, swimming 3.4 and jogging 3.2 years.
This happens for multiple reasons:
1) Individuals are active, staying healthier, performing cardiovascular activities and, generally, living healthier lifestyles. Tennis also challenges balance, forcing movements in a lateral plane and keeping the body’s balance system working well.
2) There is a social piece to racket sports. Tennis requires play with other people. This social community is very beneficial, especially, for older adults, creating meaningful friendships and emotional support, which is vital to a healthier, longer, more-fulfilled life.
3) Racket sports utilize cognitive processing and eye hand coordination, forcing the brain to react and plan in short amounts of time. There is a lot more motor planning, coordination and strategy. Think of a ball coming across the net—to see the ball, hit the ball—during that time of physically reacting. A tennis player is visualizing the court, the placement of other players and choosing the best location for the next shot. This happens in seconds or less. The mental processing for racket sports is just as vital for longevity and healthier longer lives as the physical and emotional components are. Because Pickleball utilizes a smaller court, this processing of shot placement and strategy is happening in even shorter amounts of time—only adding the benefit to the sport.
This sounds all well and good, but is there a downside? As a physical therapist, I’ve noticed an increase in older adult pickleball related injuries. Overuse injuries account for 50% of injuries, such as tennis elbow, knee tendonitis or plantar fasciitis. But, a close second on the list are injuries from falls, usually in people over 50. Players ages 50 and over make up the largest demographic for Pickleball-related injuries, especially related to falls or trips; 32% are in the lower extremity, and 25% are in the upper extremity. I think a lot of these injuries happen, because people think Pickleball is an easy sport to get into; but you still need to ease into it. Aging adults who are just learning to play, may not have been very active before. This means their balance system and coordination are not primed for the pace of the game or lateral movements necessary to be successful, increasing the risk of injury.
My advice? Start with people on your same level. Practice and do drills while not in a game-like environment. This will allow your body to adjust, learn the game and keep a controlled environment during the motor learning stage.
Strength training (which is also recommended for any adult over 60), also improves balance, endurance and will reduce the risk of injury. When strength increases, it allows the nervous system to better respond to times when the center of gravity is outside the body’s base of support. An increase in strength also allows the body to pull the body back into a more grounded state when your body weight shifts too far.
In addition to the long-term benefits of a healthier longer life, racket sports and strength training also help manage weight, reduce the risk of chronic diseases, reduce some cancer risks, lower cholesterol and blood pressure, and help with flexibility and feeling more energized!
But, if you’re thinking about picking up the craze that’s taking over the country, please stay safe, have some level of fitness before starting, have fun and be strong. I can help you get your game on!
~ Kassia Garfield, Ed.D, PT, DPT, ATC, COMT, OCS, Cert. DN
4576 E. Hwy. 20, Niceville
850-373-4450,
MaxStrength-Fitness.com
