By Admin 
On Chennai’s neighbourhood courts, pickleball has become its own kind of rhythm — the light thwack of paddles, lively doubles matches, and clusters of regulars who show up with the easy camaraderie of people who have found a sport that sticks. It is this everyday buzz, not a tournament scoreboard, that got preventive cardiologist Dr. Priya Chockalingam thinking.
As a player herself, she noticed how people of all ages were taking to the game with wholehearted enthusiasm — sometimes a little too wholeheartedly. “People are over-enthusiastic, which is great, but that also means they’re more prone to injuries,” she says. She has watched players skip warm-ups, push hard, pause to recover, and loop right back into the same pattern.
With many beginners in their 40s and 50s, she felt there is room, and a need, to bring in a conversation about what supports the sport from the inside out. “They’re getting good physical activity, but I felt they could also use a gentler nudge towards overall heart health,” she explains.
Chennai, Tamil Nadu : 18/11/2024 A view of pickleball court at express avenue EA mall, in chennai on monday. Photo : Ravindran.R
| Photo Credit:
RAVINDRAN R
That idea has now taken shape as Pickle Hearts, a two-hour workshop at the Cardiac Wellness Institute. The session will look at balanced nutrition for active adults, the kind of flexibility and balance exercises that prevent common injuries, and where pickleball fits into long-term cardiac wellbeing. A question and answer session will wrap up the afternoon, addressing questions on heart attacks, sudden cardiac death and preventive care.
“Most pickleball players also play badminton or tennis, so a lot of this applies across racquet sports,” Dr. Priya says. “But since pickleball is growing so fast, why not start here?”
The workshop is not about changing how people play, but helping them to keep playing, with a little more awareness and a lot more longevity.
Pickle Hearts will be conducted at the Cardiac Wellness Institute, Besant Nagar on November 22. To register for the workshop at ₹500, fill this Google form.