Recent Blog Articles
Icy fingers and toes: Poor circulation or Raynaud’s phenomenon?
Evoking calm: Practicing mindfulness in daily life helps
Finding balance: 3 simple exercises to steady your steps
Boosting your child’s immune system
Study: No effect on cognitive functioning from treatments for advanced prostate cancer
Surprising findings about metabolism and age
Thinking about COVID booster shots? Here’s what to know
POTS: Diagnosing and treating this dizzying syndrome
Did we really gain weight during the pandemic?
Dropping anchor on big emotions
Staying Healthy
Pickleball pleasures and pitfalls
The game requires agility and quick thinking. But it can leave you in a pickle if you overdo it or fall.
One of the fastest growing and popular sports among older adults is easy to play and lots of fun. But pickleball, with its funny name, comes with some serious risks. "It has a quick pace and a lot of stops, starts, and changes in direction that can lead to leg injuries and falls," says Clare Safran-Norton, clinical supervisor of rehabilitation services at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital.
What is it?
Pickleball is a hybrid racquet sport that combines aspects of tennis, table tennis, and badminton. The game is played indoors or outdoors on a small court (20 feet by 44 feet, about the size of a badminton court) resembling the top of a giant Ping-Pong table. The net dividing the court is a few inches shorter than the net on a tennis court.
To continue reading this article, you must log in.
Subscribe to Harvard Health Online for immediate access to health news and information from Harvard Medical School.
- Research health conditions
- Check your symptoms
- Prepare for a doctor's visit or test
- Find the best treatments and procedures for you
- Explore options for better nutrition and exercise
I'd like to receive access to Harvard Health Online for only $4.99 a month.
Sign Me UpAlready a member? Login ».
Disclaimer:
As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.
