While the NY Times article referenced below, How Exercise Keeps Us Young, focused on cycling as a physical activity, the results are clear — exercise helps keep older people “younger.” Obviously there are some factors related to aging that cannot be reversed or denied, but according to the research, and extrapolating a bit, physical activity can help older people retain some properties of younger people.
Pickleball is a great exercise for those who want to get a good workout that is a lot of fun. I formerly peformed 45 minutes of aerobic exercises and 15 minutes of calisthenics every day. I enjoyed listening to my aerobics music, but quite frankly it was pretty boring. Pickleball, at any level, is anything but boring.
Benefits:
- Aeorbic exercise
- Physical exercise
- Eye-hand coordination
- Social interaction
- Mental stimulation (scoring is simple, but attention must be paid!)
– For more about how some groups enhance the social aspects, read Pickleball Reports from the Field: Being social on and off the court
For the complete article and to read all about exercise in the “older” generation, here is the link: