Date of Award

5-2026

Document Type

Scholarly Project

Degree Name

Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT)

Department

Physical Therapy

First Advisor

Steven Halcrow

Keywords

Pickleball, balance, agility, gait speed, fall risk, senior athlete

Abstract

Background and Purpose: Older adults are at a greater risk for falls due to many variables that may include decreased balance, lower extremity strength, slower agility, and impaired gait mechanics. Daily physical activity has been shown to help combat age-related deficits. The popularity of pickleball is growing fast and may provide an option for exercise that incorporates strength, agility, balance, and aerobic effort. The goal of this study was to examine the effects of pickleball on the balance and agility of older adults participating in the National Senior Games organization.

Methods: The modified version of the Senior Athlete Fitness Exam (SAFE) was used to measure agility and balance. Participants performed single leg stance (SLS) eyes open, SLS eyes closed, SLS with foam pad and eyes open, usual gait speed, fast gait speed, and four-square agility test.

Results: After analysis it was found that the performance of the pickleball test group was better when comparing mean values in each of the variables that were tested. However, based on a 95% confidence interval those engaged in pickleball only displayed significantly faster gait speeds when moving quickly (U = 1800.50, p = .005).

Discussion: Our study was able to identify the potential benefits of pickleball, compared to other Senior Games sporting events, and its impact on agility, balance, and gait speed. Although there were no significant differences in most balance and agility measures between pickleball players and non-players, a significant improvement was observed in fast gait speed among pickleball participants. This measure may better correlate to increased physical performance measures and balance confidence in older adults. The means for the other assessments were similar across both groups.These findings suggest that pickleball may serve as an effective activity for promoting functional mobility and reducing fall risk within this population.

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