Pickleball
Paddle sport on a small court, easy to learn, played by whole families across generations
Invented on Bainbridge Island in 1965 with a Wiffle ball, ping-pong paddles and a badminton court, and now the fastest-growing sport in the United States. The court is a quarter the size of a tennis court, the ball moves slowly, and the basics take minutes to pick up, so children, parents and grandparents can play the same game. Doubles is the usual format, with a no-volley zone near the net called the kitchen and a soft drop shot called the dink at the center of the tactics. Games are short, paddles are cheap, and public courts have multiplied.
People on record
Sorted by strength of stance
Does it: documented as part of their own routine. Recommends: explicitly advises other people to do it. Discusses: covered it substantively without clear personal adoption; this can include criticism or disagreement.
- Bill GatesDoes it
Microsoft co-founder · Gates Notes reading lists
A Pickler for more than 50 years, since his father built a court at the family home in the late 1960s. He plays with friends and family at least weekly, more in summer, and says it and tennis have improved each other.
Source: Gates Notes: Fifty years ago, I started playing this little-known sport with a funny name
Aimed at the same thing
Other entries filed under fitness or stress.
- Protocol$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Yoga
Regular yoga practice for flexibility, strength and a calmer nervous system
On record from 8 of 62 tracked people: 8 do it - Protocol$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Running
Regular running, from a short daily loop up to ultramarathon distance
On record from 6 of 62 tracked people: 5 do it, 1 recommends it - Protocol$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Swimming
Lap swimming as low-impact cardio and a reset for the head
On record from 6 of 62 tracked people: 6 do it - Protocol$$$Mid: Roughly $50 to $500, or up to $50/month.
Sports massage
Regular hands-on soft-tissue work from a trainer or therapist
On record from 3 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it, 1 has discussed it - Protocol$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Tennis
Singles or doubles on court, played as a lifelong sport rather than a workout
On record from 3 of 62 tracked people: 3 do it - Protocol$$$Mid: Roughly $50 to $500, or up to $50/month.
Brazilian jiu-jitsu
Grappling practice used as training, stress relief and humility
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it
Protocol entry · notes paraphrased from cited sources, quoted excerpts copied from the transcript they link to. Not medical advice. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or reviewed by anyone listed. How this works.