DALLAS, TX – Is pickleball effective enough fitness-wise that I can skip the gym? Do I need to work out to take my game to the next level? Can hitting the courts alone keep me fit and healthy?

With that in mind, Brandon Mericle posed an important question to Pickleball Facebook Forum participants.

“Curious: Is pickleball your main source of exercise, or do you go to the gym in addition to playing?” asked Mericle.

The responses were fast and furious. There were a slew of recommendations for the best workouts to utilize in conjunction with playing pickleball to get the most out of your activity time. There was also some disagreement on whether or not pickleball alone is actually an effective workout that benefits the body.

“Pickleball is not a workout,” claimed Noelle Huff. “I lift weights five days a week in addition.”

“Play singles,” contradicted Tom Olson.

Olson has a point. Playing a singles match will easily generate a solid sweat that can rival any cardio session - and you’ll burn some major calories along the way, too, especially if your opponent loves cross-court shots.

Pickleball is great for people who aren’t gym rats or fans of endless treadmill sessions.

“When I have time to go to the gym, I head over to the pickleball courts instead. More fun to play pickleball than work out,” said Paul Hawker.

“Those who state ‘pickleball is not a workout’ definitely don’t put forth the energy during games that some do, especially the higher-level players. Pickleball is a good HIIT workout if done correctly. And yes, it can absolutely be considered a workout if you work hard enough and don’t just stand like a log with a normal heart rate,” noted Katherine Rudolph. “Pickleball is a cardio workout with effort.”

Others put pickleball in the same category as walking: great light cardio for active recovery days.

“Pickleball is for recovery days. I don’t consider it my workout, but it’s definitely active recovery,” mentioned Amy Chesney Dvorak.

The most popular recommendation from the Forum was adding strength training and weight lifting alongside pickleball to help build, strengthen, and protect muscles. Not only will it help your game, it also helps in preventing injury.

“It can be excellent cardio, but it doesn’t work out the muscles much. We’re losing muscle all the time and need to keep building it back,” said Candace Bowers.

“Gym two times a week for strength training and pickleball every day,” recommended Scott Brogdon.

“Pickleball is a sport – in order to have longevity, you need to strength train, work core and balance, and include mobility work. It will help with injury prevention, range of motion, and overall functionality,” wrote Kathy Bruno.

People have all sorts of activities in their workout regimen. Pilates, yoga, cycling, walking, Zumba, mountain biking, martial arts, hiking, swimming, CrossFit, tennis, and weight lifting. It’s not a one-size-fits-all since everybody is different.

When it comes down to it, though, I think you should play and train the way that makes you feel your best. 

Pickleball can be a great workout, but it shouldn’t be the only exercise in your routine.