6/27/2023 0 Comments Racket sports![]() The plastic pickleball resembles a larger Wiffle® ball and travels about one-third the speed of a tennis ball, so it is easier to see and hit. The paddle is between a table tennis paddle and a tennis racket in size and made of lightweight composite material, such as aluminum or graphite, which cuts down on fatigue. While there are many types of racket sports to try, one of the fastest-growing among older adults is "pickleball." It's a hybrid sport that blends tennis, table tennis, and the backyard childhood game of Wiffle® ball. In fact, a 2012 study in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that loneliness was associated with functional decline and an increased risk of death among adults older than age 60. Frequent social contact is essential for a long and healthy life. ![]() You play against other people - either as a single or part of a doubles team - while other exercises like running, swimming, and cycling are more isolated activities. Racket sports also serve up a strong social component. From a cognitive standpoint, it sharpens your planning and decision-making skills, as you must constantly anticipate and execute your next shot. This kind of activity also exercises your mind. This helps improve balance and weight shifting, which can lower your risk of falls." "Racket sports force you to move both back and forth and side to side. "Most of our lives are spent moving forward, and that includes our exercise," says Daryanani. Racket sports offer something other fitness sports do not - lateral movement. They can be played at any age, can be modified to fit most fitness levels, and do not involve a lot of equipment." Body and mind games "Besides offering a good cardiovascular workout, they can help with both upper- and lower-body strength at one time. Daryanani, a physical therapist and personal trainer with Harvard-affiliated Spaulding Outpatient Center. "In many ways, racket sports like tennis, squash, badminton, racquetball, Ping-Pong, and other variations are the ideal exercise for many older adults," says Vijay A. Over the course of the study's nine years, those who regularly played racket sports were 47% less likely to die of any cause and 56% less likely to die of cardiovascular disease. Study volunteers included 80,306 people, who ranged in age from 30 to 98. Researched looked at racket sports, swimming, aerobics, cycling, running, and soccer. A study published online by the British Journal of Sports Medicine examined the link between six different types of exercise and the risk of early death. It turns out that racket sports are not only fun, but they may help me live longer. But now that I'm older, and my Louisville Slugger has been officially retired, I need a summertime sport that recaptures the playfulness of my youth, but also works to keep my physical and mental skills sharp. Every day I played in marathon neighborhood games until it was too dark to see the ball. When I was a kid, my summer sport of choice was baseball.
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