Pickleball has grown in popularity. Since it has, questions about how good the exercise you get from the sport have arisen. This article is here to answer that simple question: how good is the workout you get from pickleball?

Doubles and singles give different kinds of workouts, and those are the two primary methods of play you’ll find in tournament level or casual pickleball play.

Doubles play is mainly running to cover your section of the court, and you get a lot of lateral muscle movements. Singles are far more exhausting, however, and can work your entire body very well.

Doubles Play Exercise

In doubles play in pickleball, you’ll have less court space to cover, which means less running–but at the same time, rallies will last a lot longer because there’s another play on the opposing side to hit the ball back and not allow a point to be scored. This extends the time in between resets and makes it so that you have to spend more time chasing and hitting the ball back, even if the running isn’t quite as frantic.

Your quads and your glutes will get great workouts from this, because the movements are similar to squats and lunges. This can be great for your legs overall, but it’s not quite the exhausting workout that Singles play can be.

Singles Play Exercise

The main difference between singles and doubles is the lack of a partner to cover court space that you previously weren’t responsible for. Not only will you be sprinting and running all over the place, the leg workout previously mentioned also still applies. You have to cover the entire court by yourself and it’s very demanding on the body.

The cardio you get from this is substantial, it’s the best fitness benefit from Singles play. A lot of players avoid Singles because of how physically demanding it is and how hard it can be to cover the court by yourself.

Skinny Singles

If neither of the previous options sound good, there is a third to consider: skinny singles, where you play singles but half of the court is no longer in play. It’s divided down the side. Skinny singles are normally used for drilling and practice but they can be utilized for fitness benefits as well if you choose to do that.

Safety First and Closing Thoughts

The last important statement to make is that safety is important when playing any kind of physical game or exercising at all. Pickleball is seen as an easy game, but it’s not. Injuries can come quickly and without warning. Falling is most common, but things like twisting your ankle are also possible. Please be safe while playing pickleball and don’t go so hard as to injure yourself and put yourself out of commission. Play at your pace, and wear proper footwear if you intend on taking a harder pace.