Pickleball

Fitness Craze Pickleball Studied by Tech

"New Apple research highlights the health benefits of pickleball

Summary
The Apple Heart and Movement Study revealed tennis and pickleball are a win for overall health, as pickleball’s popularity continues to rise. Researchers from the Apple Heart and Movement Study recently shared new insights into one of the fastest-growing sports around the world: pickleball.

In one of the largest observational datasets of pickleball activity collected using Apple Watch, researchers found trends in both pickleball and tennis workout data that highlight the potential health benefits of both activities. Participants often played pickleball and tennis for long periods of time, averaging a peak heart rate within 70 percent of their estimated max heart rate during recorded workouts. Pickleball workouts lasted for slightly longer than tennis workouts, while tennis workouts averaged more time spent in higher-intensity heart rate zones and had a higher average peak heart rate.

Researchers also saw a steady increase in the popularity of pickleball workouts, with pickleball workouts surpassing tennis workouts for the first time. The research found that both pickleball and tennis workouts were popular across all adult ages.

Paddles and Rackets: Both Offer a Healthy Activity for All

After analyzing more than 250,000 pickleball and tennis workouts recorded on Apple Watch by study participants, researchers found pickleball workouts were slightly longer than tennis workouts on average — 90 minutes versus 81 minutes, respectively — and saw greater variability in time played.

The average peak heart rate was nine beats per minute faster during tennis workouts, which averaged 152 beats per minute, compared to 143 beats per minute in pickleball.

Heart rate zones were another way to assess exercise effort. While both sports had similar trends in time spent within each heart rate zone, on average, tennis workouts had nine percentage points more time in higher-intensity heart rate zones compared to pickleball workouts.

Both pickleball and tennis workouts were often played for long periods of time, with participants averaging a peak heart rate within 70 percent of their estimated max heart rate during recorded workouts. Regular physical activity is associated with improved quality of life and healthy aging.

Pickleball Combats Depression

The study offered participants an optional mental health survey that includes a depression screening tool called the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2). Across the study, results consistent with a depressed mood were rare, but the distribution of PHQ-2 scores was lower among frequent pickleball and tennis players. The odds of the PHQ-2 results suggestive of depressed mood were 60.1 percent lower among frequent pickleball players and 51.3 percent lower among tennis players than the general participant pool, reinforcing the potential benefits of physical activity on mental wellbeing.

According to the study, in July 2023, the number of participants playing pickleball in a single month surpassed the number of participants playing tennis for the first time. Tennis workout trends saw seasonal variation, while pickleball workouts saw relatively steady growth. The research found that both sports were popular across ages and more popular for men than women. On average, players who logged at least 10 pickleball workouts were older than their counterparts in tennis — 51 versus 45, respectively — and had higher female participation rates.

Apple Watch Tips for Pickleball Players

To track pickleball sessions on Apple Watch, go to the Workout app and choose Add Workout, then select Pickleball. To help track workout intensity, users can also customize their Workout views on Apple Watch to include Heart Rate Zones. Users can review their activity data in the Fitness app on iPhone or health data in the Health app on iPhone or iPad.
With the new double tap gesture on Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2, users can answer and end a phone call or reply to a message with one hand while on the court, while the other hand is holding their paddle.
To stay in the zone, users can create a custom Focus on their iPhone to choose when they want to receive alerts and notifications on Apple Watch, while letting other people know when they’re busy. In Settings, choose Focus, tap the Add button, and then choose Custom to tailor the options.
Users can slip an AirTag into their pickleball bag and track its location right on Apple Watch. Go to the Find Items app, and choose whether to play a sound or pull up directions to find the item.