Beach Paddleball - Why You Should be Playing

Let's talk paddleball, beach paddleball that is. Known in some American circles as Prokadima for the name brand wooden racquets and blue ball, it (unfortunately) usually takes a back seat to Frisbee on the sand.

But if you watch the video above from Israel, you might want to consider adding in some paddleball to your next beach day. The rules are basic, stand a few meters apart and keep the rally going. The two men playing matkot, as it's called in Israel, show that it can be competitive and a great workout. After all, it is Israel's unofficial national sport.

Just how many calories does paddle ball burn? Well estimates vary, and the ground you have to cover to get your opponent's wayward shots will definitely make a difference, but it is estimated a 150-pound person will burn about 400 calories an hour playing traditional paddleball.

But really, who cares when you're having that much fun? It's a classic sport that you can play anywhere, even if you can only find a few feet of empty space on crowded summer beaches.

The Israelis aren't the only ones paddling up a storm on the sand. In Brazil it's known as frescobol, and the rules are essentially the same. Want some variation? Make up your own rules! You can invent a scoring system or draw boundary lines in the sand.