How can pickleball become a gateway to better health, smarter training, mental resilience, and a longer, stronger life on and off the court?

In this episode, Dr. Erik Korem, PhD, shares the fascinating journey that took him from the world of elite sports science to the fast-growing world of pickleball. As the founder and CEO of AIM7 and host of the Blueprint podcast, Erik has spent years helping athletes and everyday people improve performance, reduce injury, and build greater resilience through data, recovery, mental fitness, sleep, strength training, and stress adaptation. He talks about his groundbreaking work in the NFL and college sports, where he helped pioneer the use of wearable technology to measure performance and dramatically reduce injuries, and how that experience shaped the way he now helps pickleball players stay healthy and perform better. 

Erik also explains why pickleball is such a unique and powerful sport for health and longevity. He shares how the game combines cardiovascular fitness, balance, agility, coordination, reaction time, social connection, and mental focus in a way few activities can match. Along the way, he talks about why so many pickleball players get injured, what they can do to prevent common issues like pickleball elbow and soft tissue injuries, and how AIM7 gives players tools for warmups, recovery, mobility, strength training, nutrition, breath work, sleep, and mental performance. He also offers practical insight into emotional regulation on the court, including how to release frustration, reset quickly, and refocus on the next point. 

This is an energizing and insightful conversation about pickleball, sports science, AIM7, Dr. Erik Korem, the Blueprint podcast, wearable technology, recovery, sleep, stress resilience, pickleball injuries, mental performance, mobility, strength training, and the life lessons that remind us to stay curious, stay consistent, build capacity, and keep chasing excellence both on and off the court. 

https://www.erikkorem.com/

https://www.AIM7.com

@ErikKorem

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

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Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen 

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