Pickleball and Aging Well: The Pickleball Slam 2 Connection

If you weren’t watching the Kansas City Chiefs win on Sunday, you might have caught up on watching Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf beat John McEnroe and Maria Sharapova in pickleball…on ESPN+ for $1 million to charity.

It’s the fastest growing sport in the U.S ., with 48.3 million pickleball players in the U.S as of 2023 . It also ticks the healthy aging boxes, including those identified by popular longevity and healthy behavior programs RealAge? and Blue Zones?. Pickleball might just be the ticket to better longevity and healthspan—read: staying healthier longer—that Americans have been looking for. Here are three.

1. Move naturally.

Playing games is one of the most natural, easy things to do. If you burn calories at the same time, even better. Plus, pickleball lowers blood pressure and cholesterol in older adults, according to a research study done in Colorado .

Although outside exercise is better for your blood pressure than inside , that’s not always possible. So the market has responded. Last year, a 150,000 square foot facility opened in Macon, Georgia, an 80,000 sf venue opened in Stamford CT, and a 40,000 sf facility opened in Chicago. More courts are becoming available every day.

2. Have a purpose.

Agassi said just before Pickleball Slam 2 “I don’t need adrenaline. I need purpose.”

For many pickleball players, working on a third shot drop or staying out of the kitchen is a goal that feeds another purpose— charity work, artistic expression, caring for a family member. Purpose improves longevity, with research slowing lower levels of depression and anxiety. Indeed, pickleball players have 60.1% less depression than general participants, according to the 2023 Apple Heart and Movement Study . Purpose also helps with perspective- not sweating the small stuff, having a more positive frame of mind, believing you can rise to the challenge of whatever is next.

3. Right tribe.

Pickleball is especially social, which is great for healthspan. Socializing nearly every day versus once weekly means significantly longer survival by over 4 years, according to a long term study .

Health habits like socializing are contagious especially among older adults . If the group you hang out with is a healthier group, it’s more likely any bad habits you have will recede. Exercise especially is socially contagious.

As Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has said, loneliness is an epidemic, with its health risks as dangerous as smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day . Fighting loneliness needs to be intentional, as those who are isolated have 50% greater risk of premature death. Pickleball can help solve the loneliness problem.

But as I often say to my patients, perfect is the enemy of good. Don’t go out and play four hours the first day and then try to play—or walk— the next. RealAge? aims to help people meet their goals in wellness at least 4 days per week. Blue Zones? suggests one new activity to add to your daily wellness routine each day for a few minutes.

Pickleball injuries do occur. Of the 21 peer-reviewed, evidence-based articles published on pickleball, ten of them feature injuries. Indeed, the most common injuries in pickleball are sprains, strains, and fractures, especially in people over 40, especially older men.

Injuries are most often caused by diving, slipping, tripping and falling, all much too easy to do if you’re new to the sport or skip warming up. Some who you are just plain skeptical that it’s a real sport jump in without preparation and really suffer.

Longevity and pickleball demand preparation: to prevent injury, warm up your muscles to improve oxygen delivery and redirect blood flow to them. You’ll be stronger and more flexible, and help your joints prepare as well.

Also, hydrate yourself, even when you are not thirsty: I suggest 16 ounces of water per hour you are on the court as hydration prevents injury and adds to optimal performance.

Lastly, don’t play through pain or discomfort: slow down or stop. Your body is talking to you. Get checked out sooner rather than later.

It’s amazing how many older players can more than hold their own against younger bangers. Having a light touch and a bit of finesse go a long way being a better player, not to mention longevity itself. There are other essential components for optimal aging— for example, diet, nutrition, sleep, nature exposure, family first. But pickleball deserves to be seen for what it is— a longevity intervention that reduces risk for the leading causes of death in the U.S,. It provides purpose and resilience. And it creates social connection, alleviating loneliness. It might just be the most life-extending thing you try this week.

John La Puma MD is a board-certified internist and longevity expert, two-time New York Times best-selling author, and a pickleball enthusiast. Visit him on Instagram @johnlapuma .?