Pickleball and the Power of Play

This month, I knocked yet another item off of my 24 in 24 list – I played pickleball! I had been through some of the usual “stages of pickleball”(first judgy, and then curious =)).  I finally finagled my way into an informal group pickleball lesson to see what all the fuss was about. Well. I LOVED it.  Here are some of the reasons why I found it pure FUN:

• It was totally NEW to me.

• It’s physical and mental - Learning new skills challenged my brain and my body. But it’s also accessible. Even as a total beginner, you could start playing the game right away.

• Having not grown up with this sport,  I had no pre-conceived notions about it, and I didn’t care if I was good at it or not. It’s not like I knew anyone who got a pickle ball scholarship to college that I could be jealous of or compare myself to. It’s just a game.

• It’s social.  It requires communication and collaboration. And chatting.

• It is something to do purely for enjoyment and not for any other reason.

As I look at the other items I’ve successfully crossed off my 24 in 24 list (skiing for the first time ever, setting and working towards climbing goals, family game night =)) I’ve realized that I am quite good at setting aside time for myself to PLAY.  Something to be proud of? Well, I will argue, that YES, it is something to be proud of! I think play is important for everyone, and perhaps YOU could use a little more of it in your life?

We tell children to go out and play all the time. We know that play is important for children; it helps them learn and problem solve and make sense of the world, and use creativity while developing cognitive, emotional, and physical skills. We even MANDATE play for kids. But what about adults? 

• Play reduces stress. For adults, taking even a small break from worrying, and doing something that channels your inner kid will help reduce the mental AND physical symptoms of stress.

• Play promotes learning and improves brain function: You'll learn a new task better when it's fun and you're in a relaxed state and able to be curious, rather than stressed out.

• Play can stimulate creativity and productivity - it will help you solve all those big problems in the world!

• Play improves your connection to others and to the world around you.

• Having real FUN promotes an overall sense of well-being and adds joy to your life - that in itself is reason enough!

Play is often the first thing to go when our to-do list piles up. We feel guilty doing anything “fun” when there are real problems in the world at large or our personal lives, and so many other people demanding our time and attention whom we need to take care of. It’s hard enough to take the time to prioritize yourself and do what you know is good for you; it’s even harder to justify prioritizing yourself for “play.” But you – and the people in your life – will benefit from you making time for play in your life.  

What is play?  For me, it’s running around to chase a plastic disc playing ultimate frisbee, or climbing rocks, climbing walls, getting up at 4AM to reach a mountain top at sunrise. Or playing any kind of word game, puzzle, minute mystery, or playing theater games with my kids (or your kids!) =) 

But play for you might be totally different. Maybe it’s: 

* creating works of art, drawing, doodling, designing, decorating, or building something

* exploring new places 

* collecting something

* competing in sports

* creating or telling stories 

* dancing 

* being goofy 

Play is doing something that’s intrinsically motivated, self-directed, something that is enjoyable, in the moment, and is for YOU. 

I always associate summer with play, but even if you don’t have the luxury of leaving town for a big adventure, here are a few small ways you can add play to your summer:

• Pick a neighborhood you’ve never been to and just explore it. Try out a new restaurant; be a tourist in your own city.

• Try an activity that’s totally new to you —  Maybe it’s a summer activity, like surfing, stand-up paddleboard, or a craft like crocheting. Or pick up a new instrument - like the ukelele?

• Reread a book or re-watch a movie that you loved as a child. (Not really a kids’ movie, but I recently–inspired by some in our MoveRunPlay community–watched St. Elmo’s Fire with my kids. Total blast from the past.)

• Play a game you used to play as a child. I played PERFECTION the other day.. (Do you remember that game?)  It was so much fun!  A little stressful, but fun!

• Jump on a trampoline! Jumping on a trampoline triggers the release of mood-enhancing endorphins and overall feelings of positivity. It’s hard to jump on a trampoline without smiling! I recently had the opportunity to jump on a friend’s trampoline  and sadly I did NOT take advantage of it!  I left before the jumping started and I deeply regret this! I anxiously await a new invitation from anyone who has a trampoline! =)

• Pet a dog. If you don’t have a dog to pet, and you live in Brooklyn, just go to Dog Beach in Prospect Park and watch the dogs play. That in itself will fill you with playful vibes!

• Make a summer playlist! Music can completely transform our moods. Making a playlist taps into your creativity and self expression and fun. If you really want to up your play factor this summer, make a workout playlist, send it to me, and then I’ll play it in whatever class you come to!

And my final tip for how to incorporate play into your summer: COME TO A MOVERUNPLAY CLASS!

PLAY is a big part of MoveRunPlay classes. (Duh, it’s in the name!)

Here’s how we incorporate play: 

• We do our best to create a relaxed, stress-free, non-competitive environment, so that the focus is on fun and you’re not inclined to worry about how you measure up to anyone else.

• We aim to be inclusive: We welcome burpees lovers as well as burpees haters, extroverts as well as introverts, early risers and night owls. =) We meet you where you are and help you to celebrate what your body can do, and learn how to work with your body rather than against it.

• Sometimes we play games. FUN, non-stressful, non annoying games!  Like rock, paper, scissors with jumping jacks. And you don’t have to play. You do you in our classes.  =)

• We mix up the format of classes to keep it interesting!

• Sometimes we talk about trivial things. Our Questions of the Day cover items such as how we take our coffee, where to buy sports bras, whether it’s better to be a good boss or have a good boss, what’s the best Halloween candy, whether a hot dog eating contest sounds fun or gross. Important stuff.

• We DO offer challenging, effective workouts, but we also chat, vent, connect, and sometimes forget we are working out.

In short, we have fun. I hope you will join us! 

Check out our workout schedule, and use the code FIRSTCLASS to try your first workout for $10. Hope to see you out in the park!