A CLUB RUN BY PLAYERS, FOR THE PLAYERS
PICKLEBALL FOR YOUR HEALTH
In a recent study, this infectious sport has been identified as a great contributor to both physical and mental wellbeing. It has also been attributed to extending your healthy life, that is to say, how long you live without serious illness.
How is this so?
There are several areas around the world known as Blue Zones – these are regions where the greatest number of healthy people over 100 live. We cover this in more detail below, but in a nutshell, if you eat well, exercise, keep your mind and body stimulated and moving, you can improve your healthy life – how long you live before you become ill, if at all.
Enhancing your mental and physical health
It’s hard to see the downsides to pickleball really! Not only is it huge fun, but it’s genuinely good for you too!
We spoke to Lilly Wickham, esteemed Clinical Psychotherapist and MIST Practitioner at Life Right Health Hub in Farnham. She explained the ways pickleball can impact your physical and mental health…
Pickleball is suitable for people of all ages and fitness levels. It’s particularly popular among middle-age and older people, due to the fact that it is relatively low impact and easy on the joints.”
“Playing pickleball improves your flexibility, lowers your blood pressure and increases both your physical and mental agility” Lilly says. “It has positive impacts on your cardiovascular health and your hand-eye coordination too.”
Pickleball is a full-body, cardiovascular workout that is great for your overall health and well-being. It doesn’t take long to notice how much better you feel when you play regularly. Did you know you can burn 40% more calories in 30 minutes of pickleball than the same time just walking! It’s just what the doctor ordered. Regular achievable exercise can also help with gut health, digestion, sleep, mood and lung capability, so if you can enhance your physical wellbeing, health and fitness doing something that is fun AND good for you, then everyone’s a winner!
When it comes to mental health, Lilly explains “research has long since shown how exercise can enhance your mental health and a sport like pickleball can help impact mood, depression, stress and anxiety, as well as impacting cognitive skills including co-ordination. By exercising your mind as well as your body, you can delay age related issues such as dementia too.”
“The world’s ‘Blue Zones’ where people live healthily for longer show that a major contributor to mental wellbeing is social interaction. Pickleball gives you this, as the sport is a very social one where games are friendly and fun. Even in competitions where it’s a bit more serious, there’s still a large social aspect to the sport. Whilst all ages play pickleball, it does seem to especially appeal to middle age and upwards and this can only be a good thing in helping to reverse the trend of mental decline, which according to a study by UCL is currently on course to be 40% higher than predicted by 2040.”
OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A TIE-IN WITH A LOCAL HEALTH COMPANY PERHAPS???
WANT TO WORK WITH LILLY?
Lilly has more than 25 years experience working with people all over the world holistically, not just on mind and body issues, but understanding and treating problems in one that impact the other.
Previously working in Harley Street, she is now based at her own Surrey-based Health Hub. She works with people who travel from all over the world, not just to her Hub, but residential retreats, health seminars and through online consultations too.
Lilly and her team can help with a wide range of issues such as future health through DNA & BioHealth testing, stress, anxiety, depression, stroke symptoms, FND, physical restriction & pain, sports performance, trauma recovery, grief, loss, sleep and much more.
To find out more, call 01252 265001 or WhatsApp 07956004434
