Playkout, the first ever pickleball-inspired fitness studio, comes to Dallas » Dallas Innovates

North Texans have been getting plenty of exercise from pickleball for years now, either at sprawling indoor facilities or on local municipal courts, but now there’s a new way to “dink” your fitness: A new “phygital” pickleball fitness studio is opening in Dallas this summer.

Called Playkout, the “first-of-its-kind” concept is the brainchild of co-founders Bahigh Acuna (a former Amazon technology executive who worked at Spotify, Ancestry and Postmates in “early or growth stage” roles) and Jorge Guerrero (who has driven strategy and financial planning in consumer tech, insurance and wellness).

Photo: Playkout

Located at 3501 McKinney in Uptown Dallas, the studio will replace traditional cardio equipment with unique, custom-designed pickleball stations. Using a play-based methodology, the stations are designed to “transform training into play.” The solution blends the physical energy of group workouts with “digital gamification,” using advanced pickleball simulators and a custom-designed training studio, the company said.

The company added that its high-tech simulators are located indoors in air-conditioned spaces, allowing players to play year-round while avoiding the crowds that often plague larger facilities like those popping up around Dallas-Fort Worth.

Photo: Playkout

PlayQuout’s Plano lab found that the simulators increased “calorie burn.”

Playkout, which has a lab in Plano where it tested its method on more than 300 playtesters, found that the simulator helped people burn 15% more calories than they did in a traditional fitness studio.

“What’s more, tracking each ball provides a cognitive workout for the brain, so players feel sharper and more focused after the training,” the company said. “Returning players noticed improvements in their athletic performance after just two sessions.”

Take the Work Out of Your Workout

Co-founded by Bahigh Acuna and Jorge Guerrero, Playkout blends the physical energy of group workouts with digital gamification to bring a unique “phygital” experience to fitness. [Photo: Playkout]

“At Playkout, we’re redefining what it means to exercise,” co-founder Acuña said in a statement. “We believe in the power of movement because we think the happiest, healthiest people are those who are constantly on the move. But finding the motivation to exercise can be a struggle, so we’ve created an environment where fitness feels like play. Our goal is to make exercise something people look forward to, not a chore. We take the ‘work’ out of ‘exercise’ and replace it with ‘play.’ This is the essence of the Playkout brand.”

Co-founder Guerrero says he wants people to “rediscover the joy of fitness” with his innovative concept.

“We’ve created a fitness experience that blends pickleball, technology and strength training to provide a fun and effective workout,” he said in a statement. “Not only will you get fitter, but it will also promote skill development for anyone looking to improve their game. Even if you’re not a pickleball player, this will be the most fun workout you’ll ever have, because engaging with the ball is a universal pleasure that has brought communities together for centuries.”

While Playkout offers pickleball-inspired group fitness sessions, customers can also book standalone simulator sessions.

Expansion Plans

Playkout’s flagship Uptown Dallas location will be “just the beginning” of the brand’s expansion, with the company saying it plans to expand to other areas “in and around Dallas” and provide “total-body cardio, strength and cognitive exercise in an engaging, community-driven environment.”

Playkout is currently offering simulator booking credits, fitness session packages and memberships, and the company says that at launch it will offer a limited number of inaugural memberships with a “lifetime discount lock” on the membership price.

A video of the workout in action can be viewed on the Playkout website.