Issue #123: Jump On The Pickleball Bandwagon
Good morning. It's Wednesday, February 8th. On this day - the NASDAQ began trading (1971), the first 8 stars are added to the Hollywood Walk of Fame (1960), and the Boy Scouts of America is founded (1910).
“The older I get, the better I used to be.”
From the Lab: America's Fastest Growing Sport
Take Action: Injury Prevention
Speed Read: Birdwatching?
Wednesday Weights: Push-Up Challenge
What We're Watching: Cooked
The growth rate of pickleball in the last two years - the fasting growing sport in the US. (USA Pickleball)
From the Lab
Ever miss the days of intramural leagues or the weekly kickball game in your early 20’s? Maybe you once ruled the court (basketball or tennis) or couldn’t be stopped on the field (football or fútbol).
Growing up there were few things I loved more than playing basketball. I even wrote an article in the local paper about how I’d shovel the snow from my driveway to shoot in the winter and use the handle of the shovel to pop the ball out for every made shot when the net was frozen.
Even after my dreams of becoming the next Mark Price faded, I still played any time I could find a game.
Then as my 20’s turned into my 30’s I found myself playing less and less. The risk just seemed too high - I saw guys tear their ACL and even rupture their Achilles (awful). Not to mention the jammed fingers, broken noses, and lower back pain.
So I moved on to tennis. The key is finding a partner about the same level as you. If you're not part of a local club, check out the USTA to input your self-reported rating to find partners/leagues in your area at your level. If that's too much, check out local FB groups or here's a list of 13 ways to find a tennis partner.
But let’s be honest - why play tennis when you can play pickleball??
It's not only America’s fastest growing sport (see Stat of the Day), but celebs and athletes are all in on Major League Pickleball - Kevin Durant, Lebron James, Heidi Klum, Michael Phelps, Mark Cuban, Drew Brees, and Tom Brady (hmmm - maybe this is the sport for the 40-90 somethings).
So how do you play? Here’s the basic rules - think tennis 🎾 meets ping pong 🏓.
The Top 10 Points from 2022
(Maybe it's not really a spectator sport - but still super fun to play).
Here's a directory of where you can find a court or if you live in the Midwest you can check out Chicken N Pickle - soon to be followed by Camp Pickle.
Whether it’s basketball, tennis, flag football, soccer, or even ultimate frisbee - don’t be afraid to keep playing the sports you love.
Take Action
To prevent injuries:
Hydrate before, during and after playing intense sports
Warm up with dynamic stretches (jumping jacks, high knees, butt kicks, squat jumps)
Stretch and use cold therapy after you play
Strengthen your lower back, glutes, knees, shoulders, and calf muscles
Playing through pain doesn’t make you tough - as soon as you feel slight pain, stop and get some medical advice
Thrive25 Partner Spotlight
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Speed Read
Health & Longevity in the News
Philharmonic Coup: Maestro in LA since 26, inspiration for Mozart in the Jungle - Gustavo Dudamel is now on the move. In 2025, Dudamel will move from LA to the New York Philharmonic to turn around the struggling orchestra. For the last 13 years, Dudamel has built the LA Phil into THE destination. But his most important work is the creation of YOLA, the youth orchestra in LA, replicating his roots in Venezuela. (NYTimes)
Don’t Share Your Password: It’s finally coming, after years of sharing passwords across media apps, Netflix will be the first to crackdown. Apparently we all have been getting a free ride (at least 100M of us). Details are light, but imagine paying for Netflix like you do Verizon or AT&T - paying a little more for a family plan. (WSJ)
Why Not Birdwatch?: It’s popularity spiked in the pandemic, it has several mental health benefits, and birds chirping helps to elevate your outdoor experience. The same could be said for golf - maybe that’s why Jim Nantz’s “hello friends” at the start of every Masters is so soothing. (TIME)
Wednesday Weights
Me again - got 5 different variations of push-ups in 5 minutes. Do 10-15 push-ups of each variant in less than a minute, then rest and start the next variation on the next minute (every minute on the minute - EMOM).
Click HERE to view the workout on our YouTube channel.
Workout and video courtesy of Connor J. Obrochta. Check out all of Connor's workouts on Playbook!
What We’re Watching
Cooked
Max and I have both been spending a lot more time in the kitchen as has dedicated Thrive25 reader - Andrew Rowe:
(Recipes from Issue #114 - Kung Pao, Issue #104 - Walnut Salmon, Issue #99 - Stuffed Peppers)
We're finding a lot of joy from cooking and enjoying meals with the family - especially excited to see the kids start to make a mess with ingredients in the kitchen. So we're watching Cooked on Netflix.
Best-selling author Michael Pollan explores four kinds of "transformations" that occur in cooking, Michael Pollan teases out links between science, culture and the flavors we love.
Thanks for joining us today!
Check out the latest workout videos on our YouTube channel
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We’re 40-something dads that felt our bodies and minds start to slow down and we’re not ready for that. We found too much information on every subject. So we started Thrive25 to transform what we’ve learned into something useful for the rest of us to spend just 3-5 min a day to optimize our health & longevity.
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The information in this newsletter is for informational purposes only and may not be appropriate or applicable based on your individual circumstances. Thrive25 Labs LLC does not provide medical, professional, or licensed advice. Please connect with your healthcare professional for medical advice specific to your health needs.