I watched a 70ish year-old woman play last night who had taken a lesson with me four or five months earlier when she was just starting out. I had seen her a few times on the courts since our lesson so I knew she was playing a lot, but before last night, I hadn’t had a chance to closely watch her play.
Not surprisingly, she was better. While I’d love to credit my lesson for her improvement, she was better simply because she was playing regularly.
What I noticed most about her game were her physical improvements. She was stronger. She moved to the ball better and got lower at the NVZ line. The clunky, stumble-step to balls was much less frequent and her anticipation was significantly better. And it was also obvious she really loved playing pickleball. The list of wonderful things we all constantly share about pickleball – with, well, anyone who’ll listen – should definitely include the physical changes that come with playing. Pickleball strengthens the body, particularly the lower body. It improves balance. Both strength and balance are crucial to preventing falls as we age, and will help keep us active, longer. Tracking a ball works our eyes and concentration. Remembering the score helps with memory. And of course, playing gets our steps in and strengthens our cardiovascular system.
This game has a lot going for it, but for those of us over 50, the health benefits are near the top of the list - just below how fun it is to play.
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