Strengthen Your Heart, Enhance Your Longevity: How Pickleball Boosts Cardiovascular Health
At Empower Pickleball, we know the game isn’t just about fun—it’s also a great way to stay active and healthy. But just how much does pickleball benefit your heart? To dive deeper into the science, we teamed up with Dr. Erik Korem, a performance scientist and Founder of AIM7, to break down the real impact of pickleball on cardiovascular health.
Dr. Korem has spent years studying how movement influences long-term well-being, and his insights show that pickleball is more than just a game—it’s a powerful, research-backed workout for heart health and longevity. From improving endurance to lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, here’s what the science says about how pickleball keeps your heart in top shape.
Heart disease is the #1 cause of death for women.
Yet many women struggle to find a workout they actually enjoy and stick with.
Long, boring treadmill sessions? No thanks.
High-impact workouts that leave you sore for days? Hard pass.
That’s where pickleball comes in.
This fast-growing sport isn’t just fun—it’s a science-backed way to boost heart health, lower disease risk, and increase longevity.
By the time you reach the end of this blog, you’ll have a clear, science-backed understanding of how pickleball strengthens your heart, boosts endurance, and adds years to your life—one game at a time.
Strengthens Your Heart and Lungs
Most workouts feel like a chore.
But without cardiovascular exercise, your heart weakens over time, increasing your disease risk (1).
That’s why pickleball is a game-changer for heart health.
A study by Smith and colleagues found that just six weeks of playing pickleball three times a week for one hour boosted VO₂ max—a key measure of endurance—by 1 MET, lowering the risk of cardiovascular-related death by 18% (2).
But the benefits go even further:
Boosts heart efficiency and endurance – Regular cardiovascular exercise strengthens the heart’s pumping capacity, allowing it to deliver more oxygen-rich blood with each beat.
Improves vascular function – Pickleball enhances endothelial function, increasing the production of nitric oxide, which helps relax and widen blood vessels for better circulation.
Enhances heart chamber size and strength – Exercise increases the size of the heart’s chambers, improving stroke volume and making each contraction more efficient.
Even better? You don’t have to train like an athlete to see results.
According to a study by Smith and colleagues, consistently playing pickleball significantly improves cardiovascular fitness in middle-aged and older adults.
That means every match you play is an investment in your long-term heart health.
Takeaway: The more you play, the stronger and more efficient your heart becomes.
Lowers Blood Pressure Naturally
High blood pressure is a silent killer.
It puts extra strain on your heart, increasing your risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Here’s how pickleball helps regulate blood pressure naturally:
Lowers systolic blood pressure by ~5 mmHg and diastolic by ~3 mmHg (2).
Just a 2 mmHg reduction lowers stroke risk by 6% and heart disease risk by 4% (2).
Improves blood vessel flexibility, making circulation more efficient.
That’s the power of movement.
Studies show that regular moderate exercise like pickleball improves nitric oxide availability, which helps relax blood vessels.
The result? A healthier heart with less strain.
Takeaway: Skip the stress—grab a paddle and play your way to lower blood pressure.
Improves Cholesterol for a Healthier Heart
Cholesterol imbalances are a major risk factor for heart disease.
Too much LDL (“bad” cholesterol) can clog arteries, while too little HDL (“good” cholesterol) limits heart protection.
Here’s what pickleball does for your cholesterol:
Increases HDL by ~3 mg/dL, reducing heart disease risk.
Decreases LDL by ~4%, lowering the chance of plaque buildup.
Helps balance cholesterol naturally—without medication.
These changes add up fast.
For every 1 mg/dL increase in HDL, heart disease risk drops by 2-3% (3).
That means playing pickleball regularly is like giving your heart a protective shield.
Takeaway: Just a few games a week can help keep your arteries clear and your heart strong.
A Perfect Balance of Moderate and Vigorous Exercise
Many people believe high-intensity workouts are the only way to see results.
But research shows that moderate-intensity exercise can be just as effective—as long as it's done consistently (4).
Pickleball hits the sweet spot:
Falls within the moderate to vigorous intensity range, with an average heart rate of 108 bpm (2).
Burns approximately 350 calories per hour, supporting weight management (2).
Some matches even reach vigorous intensity, delivering the same cardiovascular benefits as HIIT workouts—a time-efficient way to improve heart health.
It’s no surprise that racquet sports (like pickleball) are linked to a 27% lower risk of cardiovascular mortality—outperforming running and cycling (4)!
Takeaway: Pickleball keeps your heart working at the ideal intensity for long-term health.
How to Use Pickleball as a Heart-Healthy Workout
Starting a new workout is easy. Sticking with it? That’s the challenge.
Here’s how to make pickleball a consistent part of your life:
Play at least 3x per week for 30-60 minutes (2).
Mix in high-intensity rallies to challenge your heart.
Pair with strength training to maximize longevity benefits (5)
The best part? It doesn’t feel like exercise.
Unlike traditional gym workouts, pickleball is social, engaging, and fun—which means you’ll actually want to keep playing.
Takeaway: The best workout is the one you enjoy. Pickleball makes heart health effortless.
Final Takeaway: Play Your Way to a Stronger Heart
You don’t need to run marathons or grind through brutal boot camps to keep your heart healthy.
You just need to move, play, and stay consistent.
If you’re serious about playing better, feeling stronger, and recovering faster, join AIM7 now—for free!
AIM7 empowers you to:
✅ Track your match stats – Calories burned, intensity, and effort—all in one place.
✅ Stay injury-free – Personalized warmups designed for peak performance.
✅ Recover like a pro – Guided cooldowns and AI-powered coaching.
✅ Boost strength & mobility – Science-backed workouts tailored to your body’s needs.
And the best part? You can get all of this FREE—forever by joining a groundbreaking study conducted by the UCLA School of Nursing on pickleball’s health benefits.
🚀 Spots are limited—click here to learn more!
References
Nystoriak, M., & Bhatnagar, A. (2018). Cardiovascular effects and benefits of exercise. Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine, 5, 135.
Smith, L. E., Buchanan, C. A., & Dalleck, L. C. (2018). The acute and chronic physiological responses to pickleball in middle-aged and older adults. International Journal of Research in Exercise Physiology, 13(2), 21-32.
Kaur, N., Zilversmit, M., Jolly, M., Solanki, K., & Khera, A. (2014). Effect of HDL-raising drugs on cardiovascular outcomes: A systematic review and meta-regression. PLOS ONE, 9(4), e94585.
Watts, E. L., Matthews, C. E., Freeman, J. R., Gorzelitz, J. S., Hong, H. G., Liao, L. M., ... & Moore, S. C. (2022). Association of leisure time physical activity types and risks of all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality among older adults. JAMA Network Open, 5(8), e2228510.
Gorzelitz, J., Trabert, B., Katki, H. A., Moore, S. C., Watts, E. L., & Matthews, C. E. (2022). Independent and joint associations of weightlifting and aerobic activity with all-cause, cardiovascular disease, and cancer mortality in the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 56(22), 1277-1283.
