Pickleball may seem like a leisurely game at first glance, but it’s deceptively rigorous.
Unlike tennis or badminton that require long rallies and intense running, pickleball is played on a smaller court with slower-moving balls. However, don’t be fooled by the seemingly easy pace – pickleball can still offer a great workout and burn a significant amount of calories.
Are you curious to know how many calories you can burn in a single game of pickleball? Keep reading to find out.
We’ll also share tips on how to amplify your calorie burn while enjoying this fast-growing sport.
30 minutes of pickleball burns at least 150-250 calories, depending on your weight and level of intensity.
Unfortunately, specific research on pickleball’s calorie-burning ability is limited. That being said, we can draw some conclusions by looking at similar activities and their calorie burn rates.
According to the American Council on Exercise (ACE) Physical Activity Calorie Counter, a 150-pound person can burn approximately 272 calories in just 30 minutes of playing tennis (singles) and 204 calories (doubles). A game of table tennis can burn approximately 136 calories in the same amount of time (1).
As pickleball includes elements of tennis, table tennis, and badminton, it’s safe to assume that playing pickleball for 30 minutes can burn approximately 200-250 calories for someone who weighs 150 pounds.
If you double your time on the court, you can expect to burn twice as many calories. This means that playing pickleball for an hour can burn approximately 400-500 calories for someone who weighs 150 pounds.
However, it’s important to keep in mind that these numbers are just estimates and will vary based on your weight and intensity level. The more effort you put into each shot and the longer you play, the more calories you’ll burn.
An ACE-sponsored study found that pickleball players can burn approximately 350 calories per hour on average (2). This is comparable to other moderate-intensity cardio activities such as brisk walking or cycling. It also meets the recommended daily physical activity guidelines of 150 minutes per week.
The number of calories burned during a game of pickleball can vary depending on several factors, including:
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Yes, you can get fit playing pickleball. According to research sponsored by ACE, pickleball triggers cardiovascular and metabolic responses necessary for improving health and fitness (2).
Some of the ways pickleball can help you get fit include:
Pickleball involves a combination of short bursts of high-intensity activity and periods of rest, which makes it an excellent form of interval training. This type of exercise can improve cardiorespiratory health by strengthening your heart and lungs.
Pickleball requires you to move quickly and make sudden changes in direction, which engages multiple muscle groups in your arms, legs, and core. This constant movement helps build muscular strength and endurance. Strengthening your muscles will also improve your posture, balance, and coordination.
Pickleball involves hand-eye coordination, footwork, and balance, all of which are essential for staying agile and preventing falls. For older adults, pickleball can be a fun and low-impact way to improve balance and coordination and become less sedentary (7).
Pickleball can burn a significant amount of calories in a short period. Combining regular pickleball sessions with a healthy diet can help you lose weight or maintain a healthy weight.
A healthy weight is important for overall health and can reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and stroke (4).
Pickleball is a social and enjoyable activity that can boost your mood and reduce stress. Participating in physical activity releases feel-good chemicals called endorphins, which can improve your mental well-being (9).
In our previous blog post, How to Get Fit Quick, we discussed the importance of finding an exercise routine that you enjoy. This increases the chances of sticking with it and can also have a positive impact on your mental and emotional well-being.
Looking to maximize your pickleball workout? Here are some tips that can help you burn more calories while you have fun on the court:
Playing longer pickleball games is perhaps the most straightforward strategy to increase your calorie burn. The logic is simple: the more time you spend on the court, the more calories you expend through constant movement, swinging, and strategizing.
Extending your playtime enhances your endurance and stamina while also keeping your metabolism elevated post-game, which leads to increased calorie expenditure, even after you leave the court.
Increasing the intensity of your pickleball games can significantly boost the number of calories burned. Intensify your gameplay by moving more aggressively to reach the ball, using more force in your shots, and incorporating sprints to change positions.
This high-intensity approach engages more muscle groups and raises your heart rate, which leads to higher calorie burn both during and after the game.
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Mixing intervals of high-intensity play with periods of lower intensity can help maximize calorie burn.
By alternating between aggressive, all-out points and more measured, strategic play, you engage in a form of interval training that is excellent for cardiovascular health and burning calories. This strategy keeps the game dynamic and challenges your body in different ways, which boosts overall calorie expenditure.
Maximize your movement by using the entire court. Don’t just stay in your comfort zone near the net or baseline; move back and forth and side to side to cover as much ground as possible.
This increases the distance you cover, enhancing the workout for your legs and cardiovascular system, and forces your opponents to work harder, which makes the game more challenging and engaging for everyone involved.
Singles pickleball requires you to cover the entire court by yourself, naturally increasing the amount of movement and effort needed compared to doubles. This heightened level of physical exertion leads to a substantial increase in calorie burn as you’re constantly on the move to hit the ball, defending a larger area without the help of a partner.
Incorporating specific footwork and agility drills into your pickleball routine can significantly enhance calorie burn.
Quick lateral movements, sprints to retrieve short balls, and backpedaling for lobs improve your game and intensify your workout, which can lead to increased calorie expenditure. These drills boost your agility and speed, making you a more formidable player while ramping up your metabolism.
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Inject a competitive element into your games to naturally increase the intensity and calorie burn.
By engaging in matches with players of equal or slightly higher skill levels, you’ll push yourself harder in an effort to win. This heightened state of competitive play demands more from your body, both physically and mentally, which leads to a more vigorous workout and increased calorie burning.
How well you perform on the pickleball court is directly related to how well you fuel your body. To maximize your calorie burn and overall performance, it’s essential that you provide your body with proper nutrition before and after playing.
Eating a light, energy-dense meal or a snack that is rich in complex carbohydrates can help boost your endurance and stamina during games. After playing, refuel with a mix of carbohydrates and protein, which helps the body recover and repair muscles for the next game (6).
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Dehydration can negatively impact your performance and calorie burn. As you play, your body loses water through sweat, so it’s crucial to replenish those fluids regularly.
Staying hydrated during the game can help boost your energy levels, reduce fatigue, and maintain optimal physical performance (8). Sip on water between points or games to keep yourself well-hydrated throughout.
In addition to water, your body loses electrolytes through sweat, which are essential for proper muscle function and energy production.
To maintain optimal levels of these vital minerals, consider replenishing with a sports drink or adding electrolyte tablets to your water during and after playing pickleball. This helps prevent cramping, fatigue, and overall depletion of essential nutrients.
In a previous blog post, Outdoor Exercises, we discussed hydration and the importance of staying well-hydrated during physical activities. Pickleball is no exception.
You’ll lose weight as you play, as it’s a highly physical activity that can help you burn a significant number of calories. The exact amount of weight lost will vary depending on factors such as your starting weight, intensity level, and duration of play.
Pairing regular pickleball sessions with a healthy diet can help you achieve your weight loss goals more effectively (3) (10).
You can burn 500 calories in 60 minutes by playing pickleball with moderate- to high-intensity. By incorporating strategies such as extended playtime, ramping up intensity, and engaging in competitive matches, you can achieve this calorie burn target.
Burning 1,000 calories in 60 minutes is an ambitious goal that requires a very high level of intensity and effort. It’s not recommended to try and achieve this level of calorie burn in one session as it can lead to overexertion and injury. Instead, focus on gradually increasing your intensity and duration over time to safely reach this goal.
High-impact sports such as running, swimming, and cycling typically burn the most calories in 30 minutes. That being said, pickleball can also be an effective calorie-burning activity when played at high-intensity for the same duration.
3 hours of pickleball (assuming moderate- to high-intensity) can burn upwards of 1,000 calories. The exact number will vary depending on factors such as your weight, intensity level, and breaks taken during the game. However, such an extreme attempt should be approached with caution as it can lead to overexertion and fatigue.
Pickleball is an excellent form of physical activity that can provide both enjoyment and a great workout. By implementing these tips to increase your calorie burn, you can have fun on the court while improving your overall fitness and health. Stay hydrated, properly fuel your body, and engage in high-intensity play for maximum calorie expenditure.
This article is intended for general informational purposes only and does not address individual circumstances. It is not a substitute for professional advice or help and should not be relied on to make decisions of any kind. Any action you take upon the information presented in this article is strictly at your own risk and responsibility!