I recently treated a few different female runners who had started playing pickleball aggressively several days per week during their running off-seasons. These clients were feeling multiple aches and pains as a result and planned on quitting pickleball once they started building mileage toward a spring marathon.
But they might not want to stop completely! A recent study by Warden et al. in the journal of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise found that female runners with a history of playing multi-directional sports -- sports that include cutting, lateral movements, accelerations and decelerations -- had stronger bones in several areas prone to bone stress injuries.
Playing the occasional game of pick-up basketball, tag with the kids, or pickleball may be protective against stress fractures in female runners
This article originally appeared in the The Connection, TCM's weekly e-newsletter. Subscribe here.
Kristen Gerlach, PT, PhD, is a physical therapist who specializes in working with runners. She is one of the team of Motion Experts TCM has gathered to help its subscribers and participants get the most out of their running. Have a question for Kristen: [email protected] or website: instridemnpt.com.