Can Pickle Ball Increase Life Expectancy?

I recently started playing pickle ball, and just like everyone else, I love it.  It feels like a low pressure version of tennis, but with cuter rackets, increased speed, lighthearted terminology, and 10/10 friendliness.

In addition to the fun factor, according to a 25 year study with a thousands of participants (The Copenhagen City Heart study) there is a correlation between participating in racket sports, and increased life expectancy.  More specifically they found that, versus the sedentary group, those who played tennis had an increase in life expectancy by 9.7 years and badminton by 6.2 years.  Of note “health club activities” only added 1.5 years by comparison. 

The study was completed in 2017, prior to pickle ball becoming the huge hit it is today, but it’s easy to extrapolate that pickle ball has many of the same benefits as these referenced racket sports including the need for quick reaction times and the inherent social aspect.

On this note, if you’re a pickle baller, but are limited on the court due to aches or pains, consider giving Bespoke a call.  Often athletes are just lacking a little bit of motion in their knees, strength in their hips, or have other very fixable problems, and can get back in the swing of things fast.  Over the last decade, I’ve worked with tons of players of all skill levels, and now I understand why they love this sport so much.

Looking for additional info?  Here is the Copenhagen City Heart Study and this Mayo Clinic Article has a clear list of all of the activities that were shown to correlate with increased life expectancy.