10 benefits of padel

That’s right. There’s a real virus going around. At work, everyone won’t stop talking about it, and your friends even have a special WhatsApp group just for that…

Padel is a reality you won’t be able to escape from anymore

But if you haven’t caught the bug for this racket sport yet, maybe it’s because you have some prejudices. There was a time when playing padel was seen as something elitist, reserved only for a privileged few.

It arrived in Spain in the 80s. But it wasn’t until the 90s that then-president José María Aznar popularized it. At first, it was a posh sport for the wealthy neighborhoods of Madrid, but little by little it spread until today it’s a true revolution in sports leisure. In fact, nowadays, very few people still have reservations about padel. If you’ve played it before, you’ll know why!

1. Boost your relationships

Although you can play singles matches, officially, padel is a sport that needs 4 players to be played. It’s a great excuse to hang out with your longtime friends and finish the sports day grabbing a drink. Plus, this sport has a healthy competitiveness that’s always flirting with jokes and banter among teammates. If you get your friends involved, you’ll end up turning Sunday matches into an unmissable tradition.

2. Cardiovascular workout

Padel is one of the sports where you get the most exercise. The flow of the game makes players constantly stretch and move all their muscles. This keeps your heart rate high and improves your physical endurance. If you play regularly, it’s an excellent way to stay in shape.

3. Helps you get more coordinated

This sport demands serious body coordination. Unlike tennis, padel involves quicker and shorter movements. For this kind of dynamics, you need strong muscles and solid coordination between your lower trunk and the rest of your body. Remember, you’re constantly changing pace to hit the ball.

4. Super easy to learn

To start playing padel, you don’t need any prior classes or an instructor to teach you. Being able to hold a racket is the only requirement to hit the court. It’s really easy to learn to rally with some dignity, and the rules are simple to get. When you start, you’ll be surprised by your own skills.

5. Helps you disconnect

This is a wonderful trait shared by all racket sports. Hitting the ball hard helps you relieve tension since you release muscle stress with every swing. Given this sport’s power to reduce stress, many companies are already promoting internal padel leagues among their employees.

6. Builds team working skills

Padel is a sport where syncing up with your partner is key. With a smaller court, you’ll need to communicate – out loud, with body language, and maybe even telepathy – with your teammate. Plus, getting both of you involved in the game will seriously strengthen your bond. Have you tried playing with your partner?

7. Sleep better

If you struggle to sleep, you’ve got to start exercising. Wearing out your body through physical activity helps you relax and gets you ready to fall asleep. In this sense, padel is highly recommended because it gives you a full and fun workout. You’ll probably be so tired after each match that you’ll fall asleep right away.

8. Lose weight

Since it’s a prolonged cardiovascular activity, you keep a high heart rate for a long time, which means burning more calories and, therefore, losing weight. Plus, since you’re having fun, time flies and it won’t be hard to keep playing for over an hour straight. Experts say a person weighing 90 kilos playing for 60 minutes can burn up to 500 calories per match. This comes from the formula:

9. Helps recover from injuries

Padel puts less strain on muscles than other racket sports. In tennis, ankle, back, and shoulder injuries are common because you need more explosive power to send the ball far across the court. In padel, less force is needed and the weight is better distributed across all muscle areas.

10. It’s a lot of fun

Of course, if it wasn’t fun, we wouldn’t be talking about it now. Its main charm is that it’s a super entertaining and easy-to-play sport. You’ll see that once you hit your first shot, you won’t want to stop playing. Ready to give it a go?