Apple study finds more people are playing pickleball longer
| October 23, 2023
Not only are more people playing pickleball than ever before, more people are enjoying the health benefits of the game, too.
Maybe that’s why we’re seeing so many people checking their Apple Watch before they shout, “0-0-2.”
New data, thanks to researchers from the Apple Heart and Movement Study, found an increase in the popularity of pickleball workouts, surpassing tennis for the first time. The research discovered pickleball and tennis workouts are popular across many adult ages and more popular with men than women. This information was released by Apple.com.
After looking at data from more than 250,000 pickleball and tennis workouts recorded on Apple Watch, researchers found pickleball workouts were slightly longer – 90 minutes for pickleball, 81 for tennis, according to Apple.com. The average peak heart rate was nine beats per minute faster during tennis workouts than for pickleball.
Either way, people are using their watches and tracking their data. That’s the case for David Holt in Oklahoma City. Holt, 51, who is in his first month of playing, recently had his annual check-up with his doctor and was told he needed to increase his movement.
Pickleball is perfect for that and the Apple Watch helped.
“I’m trying to lose weight, and the watch tells me my goals,” he said. “I like looking at the data and after playing, I can check all of it out.”
The Heart and Movement Study is one of three public research studies Apple introduced in the Research App. The Research App allows people to enroll and participate in studies through a number of Apple devices. The Research app gives researchers the chance to uncover scientific findings and helps Apple’s ability to create new features, grounded in science.
“Following the growth of pickleball, using Apple Watch data allows us to explore trends and the effects of activity on multiple metrics of health and wellness that were not accessible before,” said Callum MacRae to Apple.com. McRae, M.D., Ph.D., and a cardiologist and professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School is the principal investigator of the Apple Heart and Movement Study.
According to the study, for the first time ever, the number of participants playing pickleball in July 2023 was more than the number of people playing tennis. Apple has offered users “pickleball” as an exercise option since September 2020, likely as a nod to the overwhelming growth pickleball experienced during the pandemic. Over time, pickleball workouts have seen steady growth while tennis sessions have traditionally been more seasonal.
In additional to Apple’s findings, USA Pickleball conducted a survey earlier this year where 84% of responses indicated that pickleball has had a significant and positive impact on their health & well-being.
One of those people using their Apple Watch to track their pickleball exercise is Lauren Guhl in Oklahoma City, who said she enjoys the data collection of the watch as well as the health benefits of playing.
“I love ‘closing my rings’ every time I play pickleball,” she said. “When I’m able to do that, it brings a feeling of a sense of accomplishment in my day while doing something I truly enjoy.”
Guhl has been playing for about 18 months. She said playing pickleball has helped her endurance and agility, but the biggest benefit to playing has been the people she’s been able to meet.
“It brings me so much joy,” said Guhl, 44. “I haven’t played competitive sports since I was 10, and I wouldn’t consider myself very athletic, so it feels great to be good at something like this. The part that has brought the greatest mental benefit is the friendships I’m forming with people of all different ages and backgrounds that I probably never would’ve met.”
For more information on some of the information on the health benefits of pickleball that Apple discovered, check out the original article:
And here are some pickleball tracking tips you can use with your Apple Watch:
- To track your sessions, go to the Workout app and choose, “Add Workout.” Select Pickleball. You can customize your workout to include heart rate zones, too.
- Users can create a Focus on their iPhone to choose when they want to receive alerts and notifications on Apple Watch, while letting others know they are busy. In settings, choose “Focus,” then tap the “Add” button and then choose “Custom” to figure out the options that work best.
