Every high-demand sport, including cycling, runs the risk of overtraining the same muscles, tendons, and joints that you use over and over. That's why cross-training is so important to offset the repetition of riding. And the best cross-training activities are those that differ from the movements you make spinning your wheels as much as possible, says Bruce Moseley, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist at Baylor College of Medicine.
"The way to balance a sport like cycling is to choose something with impact, like running, because it provides a specific type of stress on the bones that you don't get while riding," Mosely tells Bicycling."Another option is a sport where you're moving in different ways, including pivoting and stretching, and pickleball is a great example of that. Also, it's just really fun."
The fun part might be why pickleball is booming in popularity and one of America's fastest-growing sports. If you're interested in picking up pickleball and getting in on the good times, we have your full guide to using it in support of your cycling. Here's how to make it your go-to form of cross-training.
Unlike tennis, with its need for sprinting, power, and endurance, pickleball is more like a blend of badminton and Ping-Pong. The court is much smaller, which means minimal running, and the ball is lighter, requiring less strength to hit over the net. It's also a game that welcomes anyone, requiring less skill than some other racket sports.
The rules and scoring are similar to tennis: Only the team or person that serves can score points and they keep serving until a fault, in which the serve goes to the other team or person. You continue that back-and-forth volley until someone gets to 11 or 15 points and wins by at least two points.
Typically played as doubles (though you can play as a single), the activity is hugely popular among older adults in particular because it's highly social and less physically demanding than tennis, to the point where it's considered low-impact, according to Jennie Melin, C.P.T., a certified pickleball coach at Life Time, a fitness center which now has nearly 300 pickleball courts, with plans to expand to more 600 by the end of next year.
That doesn't mean pickleball is lacking in benefits, though, especially for those using it as a cross-training activity, Melin tells Bicycling.
"For cyclists and runners, [pickleball] adds lateral movement, which is an important part of a well-rounded workout routine because it helps develop strength, agility, and balance," Melin says. "Stabilizer muscles used in lateral movement on the pickleball court can also improve coordination, and strengthen muscles that support important joint structures."
She adds that the pace of the game also provides advantages for cardiorespiratory health, stamina, and even mental outlook because it's such a social activity. This may be helpful for those who tend to train on their own instead of in cycling groups. Even better: Most people who play simply talk about the fun they have while doing it.
"This sport provides a sense of community," Melin says. "People tell me they've never had so many friends, their screen time is down, they feel healthier and more confident than they have in years, and pickleball gives them a sense of accomplishment."
In addition to pickleball's ample benefits, there are a few caveats. Most notably, just because the sport is increasingly favored by older adults, don't be fooled into thinking it's an injury-free activity.
In fact, research published in 2019 in The Journal of Emergency Medicine found that in 2017, there were about 19,000 pickleball injuries. Given the sport's skyrocketing popularity since then, that annual number is likely much higher now, Moseley notes.
Common pickleball-related issues include fractures due to falling, rotator cuff injuries, muscle strains and tears, and sprains in joints like ankles and elbows.
While it's easier than many other types of strenuous sports, pickleball still necessitates sudden stopping and starting, twisting, overhead hits, and lunging. Moseley says these are moves you may not do often if cycling is your primary activity, which means your injury risk will be higher than someone who does those kind of movements regularly through workouts like HIIT, for example.
The "fun" aspect could also be factor in raising injury risk, Moseley adds. "When you jump into a new activity with gusto and enthusiasm, and especially if you think of it as 'easy,' you can be susceptible to injury because you may not be as aware of how you're moving," he explains. "That applies to anything, not just pickleball. But the social, lively atmosphere of the sport could distract you from listening to your body."
The way to cut that injury risk is to treat pickleball the same as you would any other new activity: Do dynamic stretching as a warmup before you play, with moves that mimic what you're about to do, such as arm circles, lunges, lateral shuffles, and balance exercises, Melin says. Also, cool down with static stretches after playing.
She also suggests strength training exercises on other days to develop your core muscles-with the added benefit of improved cycling performance, considering research suggests core stability leads to better alignment and less fatigue when cycling.
As long as you keep injury prevention in mind, take it slow when you're just getting started (as in, lose the point rather than diving for that just-out-of-reach shot), and never skip the warmup, it's possible that pickleball could be your perfect cross-training activity.
To incorporate pickleball into your current cycling training schedule, start with one game a week, see how it feels, and progress gradually to a couple times a week if you're up for it. Pickleball is also best done after some recovery time. For example, if you do a hard ride on Saturday, take Sunday as a rest day, then hit the court on Monday.
"Pickleball is a sport you can layer right on top of your usual routine in moderation without adding a great deal of strain to your body," Melin says. "Plus, you should see your performance in cycling improve, along with adding a great deal of fun to your workout routine."