As a writer, it’s easy enough to sit at the computer for hours on end, especially if I’m on a roll. My wife knows the drill. I don’t seem to respond to external stimuli, and if it wasn’t for the fact that I’m sitting up with my fingers moving, she’d probably call the EMT people.
“Please hurry, my husband isn’t responding,” but after few seconds she might be tempted to add, “well, on the other hand, take your time.” But, she’d never do that – would she??
Whether you’re a writer, blogger,gamer or social network junkie, we all need to take regular breaks and get some exercise. Thirty minutes a day of moderate activity is the minimum recommended (walking to the fridge doesn’t count), but I personally don’t think that it’s enough. Two thirty minute exercise periods would be more like it, but hey, lets face it, exercising can be boring. Disciplining yourself to regularly run, walk, cycle, swim, go to the gym or whatever, isn’t easy – but I have found something that works for me. In a word PICKLEBALL. It’s a great way to get some exercise, have a fun time and meet new people.
I first heard about pickleball two months ago, and If you haven’t discovered it yet, Go to pickleball.com to see demo videos. but be warned. Pickleball is addictive.
I did manage to prove once again that you can get too much of a good thing. I overdid it, and now I need to lay off for a week until whatever I strained in my back resolves itself. Two of my neighbors weren’t so lucky. On their first time out, they both pulled calf muscles – one of them actually tore the muscle. Ouch. The lesson there is, don’t forget to warm up.
If you’ve played pickleball, share your experience!
John R. Paterson, Author 
Hi John, pickleball is very big in Owatonna, Minnesota. We have league play and special courts for it even! Very popular here.
Hi Nancy.Nice to hear from you. Pickleball seems to have spread like wildfire across North America. Here in Victoria, there are several indoor court facilities, in addition to outdoor courts for good weather play. Many people from Western Canada winter in the south western U.S., where it’s extremely popular as well. I’ve heard of a place south of Phoenix that has forty-two courts. In Southern Alberta, a city not far from the Montana border, and they have it there as well. All the best for a Merry Christmas.
John
The game seems to require hand-to-eye coordination. Also, I was mildly disappointed to learn that no actual pickle is used in the process.
According to pickleball lore, when the game was developed, the name of the dog who retrieved errant balls was names ‘Pickle’. The current tradition is that if your ball accidentally goes into an adjacent court (a frequent occurrence), you yell out ‘pickle’. The game stops, and the neighboring players return your ball – a testament to the friendliness and spotspersonship of pickleball players – but there is one absolute ‘no-no’- Don’t get caught in the kitchen before the ball bounces! Give it a try some time. It’s a great game, and a great way to meet people.