I recently completed a six-week Harvard Medical School extension program on women's midlife health. It not only armed me with research-based information to have more effective conversations with my provider about my own concerns, it also provided me with assurance that my exercise regime is also aligned to these strategies. And what activity do I believe is doing the most for me? Pickleball! This single activity supports multiple, research-based lifestyle recommendations covered in my program.
Move regularly and enough. The American Heart Association recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week, (or 75 minutes of vigorous activity) along with muscle-strengthening activity at least twice a week.1 Hitting that target is linked to lower cardiovascular disease risk, better blood pressure and blood glucose control, and reduced all-cause mortality. Regular physical activity is also associated with lower risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease specifically.3
Exercise impacts the brain, not just the heart. Aerobic exercise raises levels of a protein in the brain that supports the growth, survival, and connectivity of neurons tied to learning and memory.4 Researchers believe this effect, combined with improved blood flow and oxygen delivery to the brain, is part of why regular exercise is associated with better memory and cognitive function.5 A single workout can give attention and mood a short-term boost, but it's consistent, ongoing exercise that appears to produce the lasting structural and functional changes in the brain.4
Social connection is its own kind of brain training. Separately from physical activity, frequent social interaction is associated with better cognitive performance. Additionally social engagement are linked to slower cognitive decline.6 Social interaction activates multiple cognitive and emotional systems at once (conversation, shared problem-solving, emotional support) and researchers see this as a distinct, complementary pathway to brain health alongside exercise itself.7
It’s currently 2026. Let's rewind to late 2023. I'd heard of pickleball but figured I might already be starting too late. I took a few lessons at a local tennis center and then jumped straight into a social league. I lost every game—every single one. But I’m tenacious and decided that if there were going to be one sport I still played at the old folks' home, it was going to be pickleball.
Then, during the last week of that league, I lost my job. I ended up unemployed for all of 2024. What I did with that time outside seeking work was build a regular exercise routine. And I now had the time needed to work on my pickleball game. According to my Apple Watch, I tracked more than 100 hours of pickleball that year, on top of regular yoga and bike rides.
You might expect a tough job market and a lost income to have wrecked my physical and emotional health. It did quite the opposite. Exercise, especially pickleball, gave me ongoing social connections right when I needed it most, on top of the cardiovascular and strength benefits of the workouts themselves. I met new people, laughed a lot, networked, and felt stronger than ever both physically and mentally. That is why I believe in the power of pickleball.
Pickleball is a great tool for healthy aging and longevity because it combines the things the research points to: sustained aerobic effort for the heart, bones, and brain, plus a built-in social structure that supports mental and emotional health. It's a genuine win-win.
This article used Claude.ai for grammar, structural support, and proper citations.
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