PICKLEBALL POWER

Pickleball is an accessible, low-impact way to improve, physical, mental and social fitness. A recent, major review of Pickleball players found evidence of positive social, psychological, health, and fitness benefits for older adult participants. 

If you are just out there to bat the ball back and forth across the net for “a bit of exercise”,  Pickleball is safe, beneficial, and lots of fun.

However, once competition inserts itself into the equation, the situation may change. Human Nature makes itself known.  We feel like we have to hit a little  harder, stretch a little further, move a little faster, stop and start a little quicker. 

Getting that ball back over the net or hitting that winner becomes the dominant goal – and the fun thing you started out with – the thing that attracted you to Pickleball in the first place – sometimes that thing gets pushed into second place.

It’s kinda like the Olympic Games Motto “Citius, Altius, Fortius” (“Faster, Higher, Stronger”) that was meant to inspire athletes to strive for excellence by pushing their personal limits. 

This approach demands preparation

Without preparation – there are safety risks for players of all ages and all abilities. 

Without preparation – you start to enter the world of PickleFALL instead of PickleBALL

More than 63% of all Pickleball-related injuries seen in the emergency room are musculoskeletal, typically as the result of falls. Research has shown that these mainly occur as a result of lunging, walking/running backward, or losing balance during quick changes in direction. Research has also shown that an important aspect of Fall Prevention for Pickleball players is preparation – including resistance training to improve strength and power, particularly for hip and lower extremities.

Preparation is the key to success