The ultimate workout for Pickleball enthusiasts

For the third year in a row, pickleball is a national hit fastest growing sport. Selena Gomez regularly “dinks,” just like Jenna Bush Hager. Even Michael Phelps has traded in swimming paddles for pickleball paddles.

And why not? Pickleball can give you a boost cardiovascular health, provided you come to the court and play with it at least three times a week sufficient intensity – somewhere above 75 percent of your maximum heart rate. It can also help you practice your agility And hand eye coordinationboth of which decrease with age.

However, for all its benefits, pickleball doesn't build much muscle. And depending on how hard you play, it may not provide the recommended dose of weekly cardiovascular exercise.

“When you look at Serena Williams and see how strong she is, it's easy to think that it's because of tennis,” says Jasmine Marcus, a physical therapist and strength coach in Ithaca, NY. “But she is strong because of the strength work she does in the courts.”

Is pickle enough?

If you were relatively inactive before taking up the game, experts say you can make some strength and fitness gains by playing several times a week. But you will probably hit a ceiling after about eight weeks.

“Your arms and legs will gain some strength from playing, but you will quickly hit a plateau,” said Dr. Marcus. “You have to constantly challenge your body with more resistance.”

The same seems to apply to cardiovascular fitness. Although pickleball may improve this initially, there is likely not enough movement in beginner or intermediate doubles to meet the guidelines of the Center for Disease Control and Preventionwhich recommends 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity per week.

“The pros probably get cardiovascular endurance from playing, but I'm not sure how much exercise I get in general,” says Sarah Bowen Shea, a business owner who hosts a running podcast in Portland, Oregon, and plays music for six to eight hours. pickle per week. “There's a lot of starting and stopping on the field, and waiting between games.”

This keeps Ms. Bowen Shea running and swimming in her training rotation, along with strength training. That's a smart approach, says Scott Fliegelman, a leading professional pickleball player in the over-50 division and owner of Boulder Pickleball in Boulder, Colorado.

“I'm a big fan of supplemental walking for players who aren't getting enough cardiovascular challenge on the field,” he said. “It can be a great way to build the baseline cardiovascular fitness needed to play for many hours without gasping for breath between each point.”

Create a more comprehensive pickleball workout.

Rebecca Stewart, a personal trainer and coach in St. Paul, Minnesota, said that to achieve better fitness levels, players should supplement pickleball with strength training at least twice a week. Another option is to do some strength work on the field between games.

“You should make it your goal to gradually overload your muscles,” she said. Twice a week strength training session may look the same on both days, but alternate the exercises you choose each day to challenge your body.

A good routine to complement pickleball should include the following movements, according to Ms. Stewart, and should take about 30 to 45 minutes to complete. You can start with bodyweight exercises, but try to add weight as time goes on. Try three to four sets of six to 12 reps. When you can repeat 10 easily, increase your weight or resistance.

Lower body work

• Squats (whether traditional back squats or the more challenging split squats) strengthen your legs and glutes and train your balance, which helps prevent falls on the court.

• Lunges exercise a range of muscles and address strength imbalances in your lower body. Use front, back, side or flexible projectionor all four.

• Deadlifts, be that Romanian or single legincrease your strength.

Work on the upper body

Core work

Bonus work

If you still have time, add a few extra moves to avoid injury.

• Balance movements, such as single-leg marches or simply standing on one foot at a time for 30 seconds to a minute, can reduce the chance of falls. If that becomes easy, try it with your eyes closed.

• Strength movements, such as jump squats, dumbbell snatches, medicine ball slams, skaters or side shuffles, make it easier for you to reach the ball without falling or getting injured.

Cardiovascular training

Depending on how much pickleball you play – and how intensely – you can meet the cardiovascular exercise recommendations. If you find that a single match exhausts you, Ms. Stewart said, you need to build endurance outside of pickleball. If you can't sprint to hit a shot, you probably need more speed.

For endurance, you can walk, hike, cycle, run or swim for 30 to 60 minutes twice a week. For speed, you can try some kind of interval training twice a week. After a five- to 10-minute warm-up, alternate 30-second sprints with 30- to 60-second rests, repeating four to eight times.

The intensity and duration of pickleball are very individual, so supplement based on your own playing level, how often you do it and how it makes you feel. But with the right training, you will feel better both on and off the field.

Amanda Loudin is a freelance health and science writer.