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Pickleball is a mixture of tennis, table tennis, and paddle ball. It has been noted as being one of the fastest growing sports in America.  

Back in 2020 we saw a 21.3% growth increase in Pickleball players, with 4.2 million active people. That is more people than in the state of New Jersey, the most densely populated state! 

If you are caught up in the hype about pickleball you likely already know about some of the health benefits, or at least recognize that it can impact your health.

If you are just thinking about playing, and want more reasons to play, it can improve your health. 

However, it does not just improve your health physically, but mentally too. Pickleball will obviously help to keep your body fighting fit, but it will also keep you mentally healthy too!

We all know that sports and staying active can be advantageous for our mental, cognitive, and emotional health, but how exactly does it do this? 

Well, today, we will explain just how pickleball can boost your cognitive health, mental health, and emotional health all in one. If you haven’t already, maybe it’s time to buy some pickleball gear, and get playing! 

The Mental Health Benefits Of Pickleball 

You have probably noticed that pickleball courts are popping up in your town left, right, and center, and you are probably wondering what has everyone so hooked.  

The truth is that if something makes us feel good, we will want to keep doing it. This is part of why we love pickleball! 

Improving Blood Flow

Running around will always make your blood flow run better, but when you are having fun you are more likely to want to do it more. Pickleball is a fun sport, and it will get your heart pumping, this will boost the blood flow into your brain. 

It enhances the oxygen, nutrients, and glucose supplies to your brain, which enhances your brain’s overall health. 

While pickleball does not look totally exhausting or strenuous, you will find yourself with a pounding-heart, which will boost the flow of blood to your brains’ prefrontal cortex, which is the part of your brain which controls planning, attention and impulse control. 

Having a healthier prefrontal cortex means that you will have better follow through, better decision-making, and better focus. 

All of this will add up to you having a much happier and more fulfilling life. 

Cerebellum Function Enhancement

The Mental Health Benefits Of Pickleball

The types of hand-eye coordination and the fancy footwork you need to properly play this sport can stimulate your cerebellum. This is the specific area found at the back and base of your brain. 

This part of your brain controls the speed of processing and flexible cognition you are capable of. 

Having an increased height of activity in your cerebellum will boost these abilities which benefits you outside of the pickleball court. 

Boosting Gray Matter

There has been much research which shows that being physically active needs planning, from deciding whether you want to slowly tap the ball over the net, or if you want to whack it. 

It also requires complex movements, and the mixture of these two things increases the volume of gray matter. 

Having more gray matter is something that is linked to having a heightened ability to evaluate the consequences of how you act, and how you evaluate rewards. 

According to the findings discovered in a 2012 study this can be highly beneficial to overall ability and modern functioning.

A Stronger Hippocampus

When you get moving, you are actually protecting your hippocampus, which is a series of structures that are found inside your temporal lobes.

The hippocampus takes part in the formulation of memories, and is therefore critical to us. 

A study done back in 2011 showed that doing exercises such as pickleball can enhance the size of your hippocampus, thus boosting your memory. 

Pickleball will also give your memory a workout of its own as you need to recall the score and who is serving. 

It might sound super simple, but scoring is not quite as easy as you might think, it can actually be quite tricky for beginners.

You only score points when you serve, and you need to call out 3 numbers, your score, the oppositions, and a 1 or 2 to state if you are the 1st or 2nd server in the team. 

In order to keep score, your memory needs to be tip-top. Hence, why it is such a workout. 

Mood Booster 

When you play a sport that gets your moving, your heart pumping, and your mind thinking, it allows L-tryptophan, a mood-enhancing amino acid to gain entrance to your mind.  

This amino acid is the precursor to serotonin, a neurotransmitter which helps to balance your moods. 

Throughout decades of research, scientists have found that doing physical activity like pickleball can help to ease the effects of anxiety and depression.  

“Exercises compare favorably to antidepressant medications as a first-line of treatment for mild to moderate depression”. – The International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine.

Prevents Impairment Of Your Cognition 

Doing any type of physical activity, pickleball included, can help to stave off cognitive decline, this means it helps to prevent things such as dementia and Alzheimer’s from developing, according to research. 

It has been suggested that there are potential mechanisms in this brain boosting activity which could include the production of neurotrophic brain-derived factors.

As well as improvements in the sensitivity to insulin, inflammation, cardiovascular health, and stress responses. 

Mental Youth

We all want our brain to stay young, well, luckily as we socially bond with pickleball, thanks to it being a social game, it can combat loneliness and sadness which can often come in our older years. 

Making new connections can help us to preserve our minds. 

This is true for any animal in the world, the animals which live in groups often have a better memory than those who live in pairs, or alone. These social animals will also have brains which look younger as well! 

Psychology Today Says ‘Do It!’ 

Pickleball has plenty of upsides in being sociable, being cheerful and positive and with little pressure on you.  

It can increase self efficacy, self-confidence, and more. 

There are many benefits of exercise on our mental health, due to the increase in circulation of blood, and moderating physiological reactions to stress. We get better sleep, energy, and stress-relief through working out. 

Psychology Today Dr. Robert Lavine has stated the effects of exercise on the mind, and notes that people who are thinking about taking up pickleball, should give it a try. 

… And So Do We! 

We agree with Dr. Robert Lavine, exercise is so good for you, but pickleball is brilliant as it is low stress as an activity and is enjoyable for people of all ages, children can play it with their grandparents, and those of all ages can easily enjoy it. 

It can boost your mental health and mind overall through stimulating multiple important parts of your brain. Why would you say no to that!