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Is padel a good workout for fat burning (calories)?

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Elitepadel
Is padel a good workout for fat burning (calories)?

When we want to lose weight, there are two things we can do: to think about what kind of food we put in us and how much, and to exercise so that we burn more calories. Is all types of training equally effective?


If you really want to maximize your fat burning, you should combine strength and fitness. The advantage of, for example, heavy strength training is that you not only burn calories while you train - your muscle fibers grow and it benefits fat burning even at rest. Preferably focus on the large muscle groups for best efficiency, such as the buttocks, thighs and back muscles.


In other words, padel is a very good training alternative when we want to burn fat, and especially if we combine our matches with strength training. Strong leg and torso muscles not only increase our metabolism, but it will also improve our padel play.


Maximum fat burning at half the maximum heart rate


Did you know that we burn the most fat when we are at just over half of our maximum heart rate? You can estimate your maximum heart rate by taking 220 and subtracting your age. For example, if you are 35 years old, you have a maximum heart rate of 185 beats per minute, and to be at maximum fat burning, your heart rate should be 95-105 beats per minute.


The advantage of exercising with a higher heart rate is that we burn more calories (not necessarily fat!) And that the metabolism in the body remains higher even after we have finished our workout. If you can combine strength training with low-intensity and high-intensity cardio, you have a recipe for success, and padel is a form of training we can really recommend for this purpose.

 

That's how many calories you burn in 90 minutes

A common question when we exercise with the intention of losing weight is of course how many calories we burn during a workout. This is not an exact science as there are many factors that come into play such as your gender, your body weight and the intensity you play with. Men generally have a higher metabolism than women and the more you weigh, the more energy you consume when you move.


Of course, your style of play also has a lot to do with the results you get from your training. An average heart rate in a padel is between 115-160, and the number of calories you burn during a 90-minute match is between 500-1000. The difference may seem big, but it has to do with the intensity of your game.


To compare padel with other types of sports, it can be good to know that it is at similar levels as football, slalom, spinning, rowing or strength training. However, padel is a more gentle sport for the body compared to many of the other options that lie on a similar calorie consumption.



So many steps you take during a match

Just as we have mentioned before, it is only possible to make an estimate of how many steps an individual takes during a padel match, as it can vary a lot depending on our game level and style of play. On average, you take 2500-4000 steps per hour when playing padel, which would mean 3750-6000 steps during a match that lasts 90 minutes.


A high level player with good footwork will be in the higher rank of these numbers, while a player who does not yet have that much experience and such fast feet will probably be closer to the lower number. The ball duels usually become longer and more intense when the game level is higher, which also contributes to more steps. If you are curious about your particular result, it may be a good idea to invest in a sports watch that counts the steps.



Is padel a good form of exercise for losing weight?

Without a doubt, it is really good training to play padel - not only for your fitness, but it also trains your strength and coordination. This sport is based on a fast pace, which means that our heart rate can work hard and both arms, back, torso and legs get good training. When you play padel, the heart rate is always high, which increases the body's metabolism.


During the game you will make lots of quick moves, but it's actually about a lot more than physical endurance. You also need to read the game and coordinate with your teammate, which develops your coordination and motor skills in a very effective way.


In general, padel is seen as a relatively gentle form of exercise. Load injuries are unfortunately not uncommon as the movement pattern is not particularly varied, and therefore the body can be loaded very unevenly between the right and left side.


The ideal is to supplement padel with strength training and movement training, which will also be extra effective if we want to lose weight as a greater muscle mass increases our metabolism. Excellent exercises both to improve your game on the padel court and to increase your combustion are, for example, leg bends with or without jumps, crunches for a stronger torso and calf press. Strong calves give you faster footwork, which is invaluable.


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