Pickleball

Many of my patients have been getting out and trying new activities recently. Pickleball is one of my favorite new sports, helping improve balance, coordination and cardiovascular health. Here are a few of my pickleball tips.

1. Don't over do it:

When adding a new activity to your schedule, it’s important to not jump into an extreme and play for 3 hours your first time out. Start playing for 30 minutes to an hour and gradually add time as you improve and your body adjusts to the new movements.

2. Take a class:

Having someone watch you play and make corrections is one of the best ways to avoid injuries. A good coach can help you learn the basics, tell you when a move is going to cause you injury, and how to fix your form on different moves.

3. Most common injuries this week:

Here are a few areas where I’ve noticed people are injuring themselves and coming to see me. - Bending over at the waist or falling over to hit a ball low to the ground ( bend your knees!) -Keeping your feet planted ( stay light on your feet and move your whole body to make a hit) - Forgetting the basics ( make sure you’re thinking on core stability with any movement).