HOW PICKLEBALL HEALS ARTHRITIC JOINTS

“Any activity, no matter how small, can be helpful for women with arthritis,” says Andrew Haas, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine physician at West Medical Group in Westchester, New York. “Exercise wards off stiffness, improves flexibility and maintains the strength of the muscles around the joint, providing greater support.” Indeed, low-impact exercise like pickleball, a cross between tennis and badminton, has been shown to reduce pain due to conditions like arthritis by 39%. Adds Dr. Haas, “A sport like pickleball provides strengthening and increased joint motion, as well as balance training and side-to-side stabilization, which can improve daily function.”

To get the perks, follow Mary-Pat Marzoli’s lead and try playing pickleball with friends. You can find a nearby court on Places2Play.org or check your local park (many have turned tennis courts into pickleball courts), then grab a pickleball paddle and ball (which is similar to a Wiffle ball) at a sporting goods store or online. The rules are similar to Ping-Pong: The ball must bounce once before you return it, and games are typically played to 11 points, but just volleying back and forth will be beneficial for reducing pain.