Fitness pros weigh in on the pickleball-tennis debate
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Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in America — and as popular in Columbus as anywhere else — but when it comes to fitness, tennis appears to outshine its younger cousin.
State of play: Tennis players sprint across a wider court, swinging at heavier balls than used in pickleball.
- The average heart rate recorded on an Apple watch while playing pickleball was 143 beats per minute, while tennis averaged 152 beats per minute, per a study by Apple Heart and Movement.
- Tennis players also spent 9% more time in a higher-intensity heart rate zone compared to pickleball players.
What they're saying: Nearly three-fourths of fitness coaches agree that playing tennis is overall a better workout than pickleball, according to a recent survey of 100 coaches by fitness app Future.
- "Ultimately the best workout is whichever one you'll do consistently," Renee Zernicke, director of performance at Future, tells Axios. "But overall, when both sports are played at the median intensity, tennis would provide a better workout."
The other side: Doug Ulman, the CEO of Pelotonia who co-founded the Columbus Sliders pro pickleball team, tells us the sport requires speed, good hand-eye coordination and quick reaction times.
- Upon taking the Pelotonia team for a pickleball outing, Ulman said "those who had not played were amazed at how much of a workout it was and they were drenched in sweat."
- "The fallacy that pickleball is not exercise is being proven wrong. While anyone can truly play pickleball and enjoy the community aspect of the game, the athleticism of those players at the highest levels of the sport is remarkable."
Between the court lines: The pickleball scene is especially active in Columbus, which has 118 public courts in parks and community centers.
- The city has even more pickleplans. Construction on the Mock Park Pickleball Facility and its 12 dedicated courts will begin next year.
📈 There's also a growing number of pickleball clubs, including Pickle & Chill on Henderson Road, Pickle Shack in Delaware and Paddle Taps in Worthington.
- Smash Park is opening soon in Westerville and the Real Dill Pickleball Club is reportedly in the works for Polaris.
The bottom line: Whether you want to stick to being a picklehead or enjoy a higher-intensity workout that is tennis, both sports are great for staying active and healthy.