Pickleball has rapidly grown in popularity over the past few years, and for good reason. Not only is it an incredibly fun and social sport, but it also offers many benefits for those looking to improve their fitness and lose weight. As someone who has been playing pickleball for the past two years, I’ve witnessed firsthand the transformative effects it can have on people’s bodies and overall health.
pickleball benefits
Why Pickleball is the Ultimate “Third Place” for Mental Health & Community
A “Third Place” is a social environment separate from home (“First Place”) and work (“Second Place”) where people gather to connect. Sociologists argue that Pickleball has become the most effective modern Third Place because of its “Open Play” culture, which forces interaction between strangers, and its ability to act as a “Great Leveler”—where CEOs and retirees compete as equals. Recent studies show regular players are 60% less likely to report depression than non-players.
Pickleball players tend to fall hard for the sport.
The path to addiction is so quick that friends and families are often caught off guard.
There’s a reason many of us often hear, “Pickleball, again?!”
And it’s not said in the nicest of tones.
Well, I’m not sure about you, but it occurred to me recently that pickleball is my “third place.”