Tennis and paddle tennis are widely popular sports worldwide, known for their many health benefits. Practicing them not only helps to strengthen the body comprehensively, but also encourages social relationships, since they require the participation of at least two players.
However, in recent years, a new discipline that combines aspects of tennis and paddle tennis has emerged in the United States, gaining more and more followers. This sport, known as pickleball, aims to become one of the most prominent sporting activities in Spain in the coming years.
What is the new sport that is becoming fashionable in the United States?
Pickleball is a racket sport that fuses elements of tennis, paddle tennis, badminton and ping pong, and has achieved notable popularity in the United States.. Its simplicity of rules and accessibility for people of all ages have made it an attractive sport for a wide range of players.
This sport is played on a court of the same dimensions as badminton, with the particularity of having a “no volley” area 2.13 meters from the net. To play, a rigid paddle with a smooth surface and a perforated plastic ball are used. The advantage of its compact court is that it can be played both indoors and outdoors, as explained by the RFET.
Among its most distinctive rules are double dribble and restriction in the no-volley zone. In the double bounce, the player who initiates the serve and his partner must allow the ball to bounce once before returning it. As for the no-volley zone, which is delimited 2.13 meters from the net, it is prohibited to perform volleys within this area, even stepping on the line that marks it. However, it is possible to enter that area to return a previously bounced ball.
What benefits does the new sport that is fashionable in the United States bring?
Unlike other racket sports, Pickleball is played on a smaller court, which reduces the impact on the joints and body in general, minimizing the risk of injury. Despite the smaller surface area, players enjoy the benefits of a highly mobile sport, allowing them to work and strengthen both the upper and lower body. Muscles exercised include the hamstrings, glutes, quadriceps and calves on the bottom, and the triceps, pectorals, deltoids, spinal erectors and abdominals on the top.
This sport not only improves strength and endurance, but also has important benefits for cardiovascular health. According to the American Heart Association, “pickleball is a sport that is easy to learn and accessible to players of all levels, from beginners to experienced athletes.”
Regarding cardiovascular benefitsa study carried out in 2022 and published in the Journal of Aging and Physical Activity found that The average heart rate of pickleball players, with an average age of 62, reached 112 beats per minute, demonstrating the positive effects on heart health.
A study conducted by researchers at Brigham Young University in Idaho, United States, titled Physical activity differences between walking and playing pickleball doublesrevealed that After a six-week pickleball intervention, older adults experienced a decrease in blood pressure and an increase in VO2 peak values. These results suggest that pickleball can generate a level of moderate intensity physical activity, producing positive physiological effects for physical health.
In addition, it was observed that the movements made during the game promote the health of the joints and bones, and that the players burn between 200 and 300 calories for a 30-minute match.which is 36% more than walking for the same time.
