Exercise, diet, social interaction, and mental stimulation: these four things are fundamental for health at any age. As we become more mature, though, the cares of life tend to choke out these important pillars of health. Work and fatigue reduce exercise. Diet is impacted by emotion as well as convenience—”fast food” is easier. Social ties erode, and the mind wanes.

If you don’t keep a close network of friends around you as you age, there’s a high likelihood you’ll implode into yourself, finding a routine that is lackluster and unhealthy; perhaps involving sedentary hours in front of the computer or television. The mind isn’t stimulated as much as one might expect by things like TV. In fact, it’s put in a sort of hypnotic trance.

Unless you’re doing thought-intensive things on the computer, like writing, or designing graphical displays, you’re likely in a state of reduced mental stimulation. You’re certainly not getting “real” social interaction, you’re not exercising, and even if you’re just eating fruits and vegetables in front of the flickering screen, lack of activity may diminish nutritional absorption.

So you want to remain active, social, stimulate your mind, and eat right. The social activity involved with mental stimulation and exercise can make it so your body more efficiently absorbs nutrients, but many seniors struggle with finding an appropriate athletic pastime. Pickleball is one of the best options for many seniors; we’ll explore more here.

First: How Does Pickleball Work?

Pickleball is a lot like other sports featuring paddles, balls, and nets. Essentially, the big difference which throws some has to do with the “double bounce” rule. The server and the receiver must allow the ball to bounce once. So the server bounces the ball over the net, the opponent allows a bounce, and then the volley begins.

The really big thing that makes pickleball good for seniors is the no-volley zone that stretches seven feet from the net on either side of the court. This no-volley zone prevents “spiking”, and keeps players from hurting themselves chasing after “extreme” plays that could pull a muscle in sensitive areas. From there, whoever is serving keeps doing so until he or she “faults”.

Particulars Of Pickleball: Court Size, Paddles, Balls, Etc.

The ball used in pickleball is perforated with holes. It’s like a wiffle ball but has a little more weight and heft to it. You can follow this site to get an in-depth look at pickleball court dimensions. In a nutshell, if you’ve got a badminton court, you can play pickleball. The traditional dimensions are twenty by forty-four feet. So twenty feet wide, forty-four long.

Doubles, Tournaments, And Impromptu Matches

Like in sports such as tennis or badminton, pickleball allows players to have groups. You can have a “team” of two on either side, switching off between those who serve. Tournaments can be played when there are lots of people with a hankering for pickleball. Friendly rivalries can be entertained. Also, since the court size is small, pickleball matches can use most nets.

A badminton net works fine for pickleball. So does a tennis net; though the court size is a bit larger. A lot of tennis courts actually have boundaries drawn for different paddle games. You’ll commonly see boundaries for pickleball, which makes things easier. That said, it’s no big deal to define your own boundaries in an area with a net and enough space.

Some like to think of pickleball as the mature player’s tennis. It’s much the same in terms of exercise without being as dangerous owing to the no-volley zone, the double-bounce rule, and the match scoring. This wasn’t mentioned earlier, but it’s worth putting in here: matches go to 11 points. That means they don’t have to be exceptionally long.

Something many seniors contend with is a reduction in energy. That means they can go hard briefly, but soon find they’re not able to keep at it. Well, in a small tournament of pickleball, it’s easy to cycle teams out; and matches tend to go quicker. That allows for the maximum of physical exertion among seniors with a minimum of negative impact.

Finding An Activity That’s Healthy And Stimulating

Different seniors have different preferences when it comes to sporting activities and exercise in general. Some prefer to hike, some prefer to swim, some prefer boating, or jogging—there are even seniors who are into bodybuilding; though they’re certainly in the minority. Pickleball represents a sporting opportunity that’s more tangible, safe, and fun than many others.

With pickleball there’s a social element, the mind is engaged in the sport, you’re exercising, and you’re bound to work up an appetite while positively stimulating your digestive system owing to physical exertion. If you’re struggling with being active as a senior, pickleball can be a gentle, straightforward, fun, easy way of getting back into the swing of things.