Pickleball Warm-up Exercises for Performance and Injury Prevention

Have you joined the latest fitness and sports craze that is pickleball? Invented in 1965 in Washington, pickleball isn’t new, but it is newly popular. More accessible than tennis, it’s a game that most people can enjoy right away, without having a much skill or experience. 

Because there is such a low barrier to entry, there are some risks associated with pickleball. Newbies to the game and fitness, in general, run the risk of going too hard and getting injured. With some thoughtful warm-up exercises, you can reduce that risk and play a better game. 

The Stunning Rise of Pickleball

Pickleball has been around for decades, but only in recent years has it exploded in popularity. Pickleball statistics indicate just how much Americans have embraced the game:  

• Pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in the U.S. for two years in a row. 

• Between 2019 and 2022, the number of players grew by nearly 40%. 

• More than 4.8 million Americans play pickleball. 

What’s so great about pickleball? There are a lot of reasons people like the game described as a cross between tennis, ping pong, and badminton. 

Pickleball is a lot like tennis, played on a court with rackets and a ball, but it is easier for beginners to get into the game. The court is smaller and the ball doesn’t fly as fast, so it requires less strength and running than tennis. The serve is underhand and easier to master than tennis’s overhand serve. 

While it’s accessible to beginners, pickleball can also be challenging. Depending on who is playing, this can be a beginner or advanced sport. There’s plenty of opportunity to progress and become a better pickleball player. 

Compared to some other fitness trends, pickleball is fun and social. Friends get together to play and have a great time while also exercising. During the pandemic, a lot of people took to the sport as something social they could do while outside. 

As a workout, a pickleball game is a fun way to check cardio off your list while burning calories. Depending on your weight and intensity of play, you could burn 400 to 700 calories per hour playing the game. 

Why Is it Important to Warm up Before a Pickleball Match? 

If you’ve been into sports and fitness for a while, you know the benefits of warming up before any serious activity. But many people trying out pickleball right now are new to working out and playing sports. 

It’s great that the sport is getting more people active, but those new to pickleball might not be aware of how important it is to take time to warm up. Here’s what you need to know. 

Pickle Ball Warm-up Exercises Prevent Injury

The most important reason to warm up before any workout is to prevent injury. Going into a sport, especially a vigorous one, cold can lead to strains, sprains, pulled muscles, and joint injuries. 

Warming up engages the nervous system and warms the entire body to get it ready to move more efficiently and safely. It improves elasticity in the muscles and joints.  

Warming up Improves Your Game

Once you start warming up, you’ll realize these stiff, slow initial movements would definitely hold you back in a match. Warm-up exercises get the blood flowing and literally warm the muscles and joints, so they’re ready to perform better. 

Additional workouts can also improve your game. Check out these drills for improving agility and quickness on the court. 

5 Pickle Ball Warm-up Exercises to Stay Loose

A good warm-up should be dynamic, which means it involves movement, not just static stretching. A static stretch is not that helpful when it comes to warming muscles and joints. It’s better to ease into movement with a short dynamic stretching session. 

Your warm-up should also mimic the movements you’ll be using in the activity. To prevent the most common pickleball injuries, this means you primarily need to get your shoulders, knees, and hips mobile. 

Learn more about dynamic warm-ups and why they are so important for sports performance. 

#1. Shoulder/Arm Circles and Swings

Pickleball relies on a lot of arm movements involving the shoulder joint, which is fairly easy to injure. Warm up the joint by doing a series of arm circles. Include both forward and backward circles as well as big, medium, and small circles. 

You can also include some other types of arm movements to target the full range of motion in the joint. Swing your arms forward and back, like you’re going to hug yourself, and up and down, like you’re doing shoulder raises. 

#2. Hip Circles and Swings

A similar routine for the legs will open up and warm the hip joints, which move a lot as you jump around the court. Use a stationary object for balance and do one leg at a time. Swing the leg back and forth and then side to side. Lifting the foot up and bending at the knee, make circular motions at the hip joint. 

#3. Core Twists and Stretches

The quick movements necessary while playing pickleball require stability that comes from the core. Warm it up by twisting the trunk in both directions. Do dynamic lateral stretches by reaching each arm over your head and leaning in the opposite direction. Bend forward and back (placing hands on your lower back for stability) to warm up and stretch the spine.

#4. Side Hops and Side Lunges

Daily life doesn’t involve a lot of lateral movement, so it’s easy to overlook when playing sports. Gentle hops from side to side ease you into lateral motion and also prepare the ankles for jumping around. Do a few dynamic side lunges on each side to warm up all the leg muscles and hips that engage during side-to-side movements. 

#5. Easy Jog

Finally, get your heart rate up slowly by taking an easy jog around the pickleball court. This will activate a lot of muscles you need to play pickleball, elevate overall body temperature and ease your heart rate into the more intense cardio needed to play the game. 

Anything that gets people active is a good thing. On the other hand, it’s important to play safely. If you are a trainer, make sure your clients understand how to warm up properly for any workout, sport, or activity. 

Personal trainers have to keep up with all the fitness and sports trends, but they need to start with the basics. ISSA’s Certified Personal Trainer – Self-Guided Study Program is the perfect starting point and foundation for a career in fitness.

References

1. What is pickleball?: What you need to know about pickleball. USA Pickleball. (2023, February 9). Retrieved March 7, 2023, from https://usapickleball.org/what-is-pickleball/ 

2. Pickleball is the fastest-growing sport for second year in a row, growing by 39.3%. USA Pickleball. (2022, February 16). Retrieved March 7, 2023, from https://usapickleball.org/news/fastest-growing-sport/