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What can pickleball do for your mental and cardiovascular health? New Apple data

This new data will probably make you want to pick up your pickleball paddle and play

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Woman holding a Pickleball paddle and ball as she prepares to serve with the sun rising behind her.
Ajax9 / Shutterstock

Pickleball is on the rise as one of the fastest-growing sports in the country. I like playing racket sports because they really get your blood flowing and you always feel like you got a good workout in, no matter whether or not you won the game. The Association of Pickleball Professionals (APP) shared that pickleball players increased by 35% compared to the last research that concluded in August 2022. It’s clear that pickleball is here to stay.

Pickleball is more than just a fun game to play with an interesting name. Recent Apple data highlights a range of benefits for your cardiovascular, mental, and metabolic health. Let’s look at the data.

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The Apple data

Close-up of a man wearing an Apple Watch on his arm, health and fitness app
Tim Foster / Unsplash

An Apple report used data from Apple Watch Users who chose to take part in the study. The goal was to assess the health benefits of pickleball, and the results might just make you want to pick up your paddle and play. Let’s take a look at the results.

Related

Depression

Sad man sitting on the ground near a body of water with his eyes closed.
Mor Shani / Unsplash

The report found that playing pickleball can boost cardiovascular and metabolic health. Here are some of the most interesting results:

  • Playing pickleball is associated with lower rates of self-reported depression.
  • Self-reported scores of the symptoms of depression were a surprising 60% lower for those who frequently played pickleball compared to the general study group.
  • Pickleball games last around 90 minutes on average, which is over half of the recommended guidelines of 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity exercise every week.

The principal investigator for the study reported that the results could be due to the impact the sport has on neuromuscular coordination, resilience, hormones, and more.

Mood-boosting endorphins

A group of pickleball players versing off.
Stephen Rahn / Flickr

When you move your body by exercising or doing a fun activity like pickleball, your body releases mood-boosting endorphins that have been proven to reduce stress and pain and enhance well-being.

Play outside 

A person playing pickleball
Ron Alvey / Shutterstock

Pickleball encourages you to get outside and play in the daylight, which the principal investigator for this report shared could be one of the reasons pickleball tends to lift your mood. The quick thinking involved in hitting that ball with your paddle could also help sharpen your brain and hand-eye coordination. Exercise and strategic thinking activities can promote cognitive functioning and help prevent cognitive decline. A game of pickleball, anyone?

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Steph Green
Steph Green
Steph Green is a content writer specializing in healthcare, wellness, and nutrition. With over ten years of experience, she…
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