As many know, pickleball has become quiet the big “Dill” over the last few years! But, why pickleball?
A little history:
One summer day in 1965 two men, Joel Pritchard and Bill Bell, had nothing to do and their families were just sitting around. They started to play badminton, but did not have the right equipment. They then played with ping pong paddles, and lowered the net. Later Barney McCallum joined them and they created rules for this game. Over time the game has evolved into a common sport to play with friends and family.
Fun fact: there are two theories on how the name came to be. One is that they named it after Pritchard’s dog, Pickles, who loved to chase the ball.
Not only is pickleball fun for many different generations to enjoy, but it also has many good benefits.
“Not only does pickleball provide a fun aerobic workout for cardiovascular health but it keeps us engaged socially with others”
– Tonya Sullivan, FNP-C with PHC Express Care
“Pickleball is a sport that can be played across all spans of life. It is a fun way to exercise, socialize, and work on cardiovascular endurance. Lateral movements in the sport of pickleball improve balance, strength, and functional mobility.”
– Summer Sparks and Crystal Witherspoon
with PHC Physical Therapy & Rehab
Physical benefits:
- Heart health – heart rate and breathing rate are up, burning calories, meaning better heart health, and lung health.
- Improves muscle and bone strength
- balance and coordination – With better balance and coordination risk of falling in older generations are lower.
- Brain health – not only does pickleball get in your daily exercise, but exercising also can help your brain leading to better sleep, and better mental health.
Mental benefits:
- Social connections – forming new friendships and social connections can help overall mental well-being and can reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation.
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Cognitive benefits – Pickleball requires quick decision-making, and hand-eye coordination, which can potentially slow cognitive decline.
- Stress reduction – not only can exercise help reduce stress levels, but also let’s face it, why wouldn’t hitting a ball as hard as you can reduce stress?
- Improved mood – exercise and social connections can lead to a more positive mood and reduce symptoms of anxiety or depression!
Happy National Pickleball Day! Go grab a paddle and try it out!
To find more history of the sport, rules, and more go to the USA Pickleball website here:
