the 15 men and women also improved their health and fitness over the course of the study which required them to play an hour of pickleball a day (about four doubles matches).
“after six weeks of participation in pickleball, there were significant improvements in the following outcomes: high-density lipoprotein (hdl) and low-density lipoprotein (ldl) cholesterol, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and maximal oxygen uptake,” the researchers said.
as to how pickleball compares with walking, the subjects in the brigham young study registered heart rates 14 per cent higher and caloric expenditure 36 per cent greater playing doubles pickleball compared with walking. they said pickleball felt like more of workout than walking.
“playing pickleball doubles was perceived to be more strenuous than walking, as median ratings of perceived exertion after pickleball doubles were nearly 44 per cent greater than median ratings of perceived exertion after walking,” said the researchers from brigham young.
when it comes to the number of steps however, a 30-minute walk tallied 54 per cent more steps than a doubles game. the smaller court, close proximity of teammates on the same side of the net and much of the play taking place at the net means fewer steps are accumulated over the course of a match.