Over 60 years ago, boredom at a family backyard gathering on Bainbridge Island in Washington State led Congressman Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum—and their families—to invent a new game. Using an old badminton court, they improvised with table tennis paddles, a plastic wiffle ball, and a lowered badminton net. From these modest beginnings, pickleball was born, with rules blending elements of tennis, badminton, and table tennis.
Today, the sport is played by two or four players on indoor or outdoor courts. Competitors use smooth-faced paddles to hit a perforated, hollow plastic ball over a 34-inch-high net until one side fails to return the ball or commits a rule infraction.
According to Pickleheads, a digital hub for pickleball players, there are over 21,985 pickleball courts in 8,970 cities across the United States. In Rhode Island, there are 61 pickleball locations with a total of 246 courts. Of these, 40 locations—with 166 courts—are public and free to use. Rhode Island ranks 58th in the nation for the number of pickleball courts.
The Sports and Fitness Industry Association reports that , from 2021 to 2024, pickleball became the fastest-growing sport in the nation. Two years ago, CBS Sports reported that 36.5 million people nationwide had played pickleball at least once.
On August 8, designated National Pickleball Day—just before the launch of AARP’s national Pickleball Clinic Tour—the Washington, D.C.-based aging organization released a study exploring older adults’ awareness and participation in the sport. A free Clinic Tour event will take place at Pickleball Citi in Cranston on Wednesday, August 27.
The survey found that nine in ten (91%) adults age 50+ have at least heard of pickleball, and more than half (55%) are either familiar with it or have played at least once. About one in ten (13%) report they have played the game.
According to the survey, when asked which activities have gained the most popularity among people their age in the past two years, 40% of adults 50+ selected pickleball—more than double the second most popular choice, walking/jogging (18%). A third (33%) of older adults familiar with pickleball expressed interest in learning more from experienced players.
A Sport for Families, Friends, and Generations
One of the sport’s biggest attractions is its ability to bring families and generations together. Among 50+ adults familiar with the sport, 81% said pickleball is a game people of all ages can enjoy together. More than half (52%) cited spending time with family and friends as a key benefit. Of those who play, 56% reported playing with family members and 48% with friends.
Pickleball also helps older adults expand their social networks. The AARP study revealed that 71% of 50+ adults familiar with pickleball view it as a great way to meet new people. In fact, 20% of those who play said they have played with individuals they first met at the court.
Beyond fun and socialization, pickleball provides meaningful health benefits. Nearly eight in ten (78%) older adults familiar with the sport say it is a great way to stay physically fit, and nearly nine in ten (87%) consider exercise a major advantage of playing. Two-thirds (67%) also say the sport helps them stay mentally sharp.
Stress relief is another benefit, cited by 46% of respondents. And for many, the simple joy of play matters most: three in four (75%) said pickleball is fun.
“We know that pickleball is particularly popular among our Rhode Island members and the state’s 50 and older population,” said AARP Rhode Island Associate State Director for Community Outreach Darlene Reza Rossi. “It checks so many boxes on the list of activities that can allow people to live healthier lives as they age. Aside from the obvious physical benefits, learning a new skill is an essential element of brain health. And the social part the game provides is another brain-health benefit.
“So, AARP Rhode Island all in when it comes to introducing more Rhode Islanders to pickleball because it aligns with our mission of empowering people to choose how they live as they age and our healthy living series, that includes free, online RI Healthy Cooking, Tai Chi/Qigong, Everybody Dance! And Laughter Yoga.”
AARP Pickleball Clinic Coming to Rhode Island
On August 8, AARP launched its 2024 Pickleball Clinic Tour to 20 cities nationwide to promote active aging and multigenerational play.
For Rhode Islanders, AARP will host a free Pickleball Clinic at Pickleball Citi in Cranston on Wednesday, August 27, from 5 to 8 p.m. Participants must sign a General Liability Waiver.
The event will feature an Intro to Pickleball clinic and open play, led by licensed instructors in an inclusive, welcoming environment. Open play will follow a drop-in format, allowing players of all levels to practice in a real game setting. Instructors will help match players by skill level, ensuring both beginners and experienced players can enjoy the sport, meet new people, and stay active.
Registration is free and limited to the first 100 people. To register, visit: www.aarp.org/RIEvents..
In addition to learning the game, participants will also discover AARP’s “Six Pillars for Better Brain Health” and explore opportunities to connect with AARP Rhode Island programs in their community.
So grab a paddle, bring your family or friends, and join the fun—pickleball might just become your new favorite way to stay active, healthy, and socially connected.
It seems that America’s older adults are not fearful of aging. With optimism they are embracing it. That’s what the findings of a new AARP survey reveal in exploring the second half of life. AARP’s 2024 survey of adults ages 50 and over reveals that older adults have an optimistic view and outlook on life and expect their lives to even improve as they grow older. Nearly 9 in 10 are at least somewhat optimistic about their future, with half being extremely or very optimistic, note the study’s finding.
AARP new survey, “The fountain of happiness: Older adults’ outlook on life and optimism toward the future,” exploring the second half of life serves as an update to the original second half of life study released in June 2022, which inspired the publishing of The Second Fifty authored by Debra Whitman, AARP’s Executive Vice President and Chief Public Policy Officer.
These and other findings are explored further in Whitman’s new book, The Second Fifty. The tome takes readers on a search for answers at a critical time in the nation’s history: by 2030, 1 in 5 Americans will be age 65 or older, and by 2050, the U.S. is projected to have nearly 1 million centenarians.
Taking a Look at “The Second Fifty”
“The Second Fifty provides a roadmap for navigating and celebrating the second half of life, emphasizing the importance of mindset to living well as we age,” said Whitman, in an Oct. 4, 2024 statement announcing the release of the 2024 survey’s findings. “Whether you are approaching 50, well into your later years, or caring for someone who is, The Second Fifty provides practical steps, grounded in research, to help us all create a better second half of life for ourselves and our loved ones,” she says.
According to the AARP’s recently released survey’s findings, older adults are optimistic and happy about growing older. Over four in five say they are optimistic (89%) about their future and feel happy (86%). Age 60 year and older respondents reported higher levels of happiness than those persons ages 50-59.
The study’s findings also indicate that old adult’s optimism about the nation’s future has grown, with 61% reporting they feeling more hopeful today than two years ago (54%). The researchers noted that the initial study released in 2022 was conducted following the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to researchers, health, gender and chronological age are three key factors that shape the aging experiences of older Americans. They say that gender differences are evident in the older respondents happiness about their future. A higher percentage of older men reported being very happy (24%) than women (17%). The study’s findings also indicated that older men are more likely than women to be very optimistic about their future (43% t0 34%, positive about the future of America (20% to 12%) and the world (15 % to 9 %).
Expecting longevity key to one’s outlook on aging
Expected longevity is key to one’s outlook on aging, say the researchers, noting that with a self-reported life expectancy of 85 years, older adults would choose to live even longer, to the ripe old median age of 93. At the same time, the study reveals that most older adults (74%) are currently afflicted with a chronic or serious health condition, and more than half (53%) are living with two or more chronic conditions.
As to viewing one’s longevity, researchers note that the older someone is, the longer they expect to live. The study’s findings indicated that those adults age 70 and over (39%) are more likely to hope to age into than nineties than their younger cohorts (50 plus-28 %, ages 50-59-19%, ages 60-69-26%).
As people grow older, they then begin to value each decade of their adulthood different, says the study’s findings. While most are currently happy and optimistic about their future, over two-thirds (67%) say their best decade came before age 50. For those ages 50-59, they most likely to consider their 20s (34%) as their best decade. But for those persons age 60-69, they value their time in their 30s. For those age 70, 22% favor their 30s, 20% consider their best decade the 40s and 21% favor their 50s and 19% remember their 60s as the best.
And the researches found that relationships tend to get better, improve and more meaningful with growing older. Over the past five years, more than 28% of the older respondents experienced improved relationships. Almost half (45%) expect their relationships to become more meaningful, too. The findings also indicated that persons ages 50-59 are significantly more likely to believe their relationships will become more meaningful in their future (51%) compared to those ages 70 and older (38%).
Taking a look at the study’s implications
As to implications, the study’s researchers note that existing health and gender disparities in aging are risk factors to older adults to age with hope and dignity. They call for local, state and national policies to address these disparities by improving access to affordable and quality healthcare (by increasing access to health insurance, primary care and preventative services). Policies should address gender-specific needs and support systems must ensure that older men and women equality benefit from improvements, they say.
Researchers also stress the importance of understanding that each generation of adults age 50 and over value different life stages and this is essential for providing support to these individuals as they age. Designing effective policies, interventions, and support systems can be accomplished by recognizing “diverse and evolving needs, values and priorities of older adults.”
As recognized by the U.S. Surgeon General, relations are importance to your health and well-being. The researchers recognize that “reliable and meaningful relationships are central to aging well.” The AARP study calls for “policies to prioritize the development and funding of programs that foster social connections among older adults.” These programs, recognizing that older men and women experience social connections different, might include creating accessible community centers and social engagement initiatives.
We look forward to gathering around the Thanksgiving table with family and friends to enjoy good company and good food.
“For individuals with chronic diseases such as diabetes or heart disease, holiday social gatherings can be more challenging and at times anxiety inducing,” says Marilyn Csernus, a former, now retired Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist, living in Mendota, Illinois.
Csernus suggests that the best way to prevent stress and enjoy your Thanksgiving meal is planning ahead and being prepared. “Planning ahead can include making sure your health condition is as well managed as possible going into Thanksgiving or any other holiday,” she says.
Strategies for Managing Your Holiday Meals
“If we look at a specific holiday such as Thanksgiving as one day, rather than giving ourselves permission to overindulge all the way through New Year’s Day, it can be more manageable, especially for those with a chronic disease,” says Csernus. She gives the following ten tips that will hopefully help you enjoy your favorite holiday foods without sabotaging your health:
1. Don’t skip breakfast. It is important to maintain regular meals even if the timing may be off a bit on a particular holiday. It can be dangerous for anyone taking insulin and certain oral diabetes medicines to skip meals.
2. Try to continue your regular activity or exercise plan as much as possible. Maybe gather up a group to take a walk after enjoying a holiday meal.
3. Don’t drink your calories. Steer clear of sweetened beverages.
4. Whether Thanksgiving is a sit-down meal or served buffet style, take a quick overview of what is on the menu. Decide which items you really want to eat and which you can skip. Choose small portions of holiday favorites that are unique to the holiday rather than filling up on foods that are available anytime of the year. For example, maybe enjoy a small serving of Aunt Sue’s sweet potato casserole rather than eating mashed potatoes which are available anytime of the year, or stuffing rather than bread or rolls.
5. Enjoy larger servings of non-starchy vegetables such as asparagus, cauliflower, green beans, broccoli, spinach, carrots or green salads. These items are both low in calories and low in carbohydrates.
6. If you have a choice, always choose higher fiber options such as brown rice, or whole wheat bread over white rice or white bread.
7. If there is a buffet table, don’t hang around the buffet. Fill your plate with small portions of your favorites and enjoy your Thanksgiving meal. Stop eating when you are no longer hungry rather than eating to the point of being uncomfortably full. If tempted to go back for seconds wait fifteen to twenty minutes and see if you are really still hungry. It takes that long for your stomach to signal your brain that you are full. After eating spend your time socializing away from the buffet. Sip on unsweetened beverages throughout the day.
8. When attending a holiday celebration at someone’s home and you are concerned that there may not be the best options for your usual meal plan, offer to bring a couple of dishes.
9. If you have diabetes continue to monitor your blood glucose as you would on any other day.
10. If you do overindulge a bit, just get back on track the next day.
For more diabetes educational resources including recipes, go to diabetes.org.
Herb Weiss 