While friendly exhibitions can feel easygoing at times, pickleball at its core still requires agility, precision, and flexibility. A thorough warm-up is essential to maximize performance and minimize the risk of injury while on the court!
Your routine before any pickleball match, whether in your backyard or at a serious tournament, will make or break your performance on the court. Taking just five minutes to run through these stretches will help prevent injury and prepare your body for the rigorous movements of pickleball.
Watch the video above to see our trainer, Brady Burman-Magday, run through all ten stretches! All of them can be performed right at the pickleball court, though you might want to use a mat for added comfort.
Kneeling Wrist Flexion on Mat
How To Perform: Kneel on a mat with your wrists positioned under your shoulders, palms flat. Gently lean forward to stretch the inside of your wrists. Hold this position for 30 seconds.
Benefits: Strengthens the wrist flexors, which are crucial for effective paddle handling. Enhances wrist flexibility and endurance, reducing the risk of strains during quick, repetitive paddle movements.
Kneeling Wrist Extension on Mat
How To Perform: From a kneeling position, flip your hands so the backs of your hands are on the mat and your fingers point towards your knees. Gently lean back. Hold this position for 30 seconds.
Benefits: Stretches the wrist extensors. Prevents wrist fatigue and injuries, crucial for maintaining strong and controlled paddle swings.
Tibialis Raises
How To Perform: Stand upright and lift your toes towards your shins while keeping your heels on the ground. Hold this position for 30 seconds.
Benefits: Strengthens the shin muscles, supporting lower leg stability. Improves footwork speed and agility, essential for quick lateral and forward movements.
World’s Greatest Stretch
How To Perform: Step one foot forward into a lunge, placing both hands on the floor inside the front foot. Extend the back leg and rotate the upper body toward the front leg, lifting the front arm towards the ceiling. Hold this position for 30 seconds.
Benefits: Opens the hips, stretches the hamstrings, and mobilizes the thoracic spine. Enhances overall mobility and flexibility, which is critical for reaching and returning low balls.
Deep Squat
How To Perform: With your feet shoulder-width apart, squat down while keeping your heels on the ground and your chest up. Extend your arms between your legs. Hold this position for 30 seconds.
Benefits: Engages the core, hips, and ankles. Develops leg strength and endurance, supporting prolonged rallies.
Squat to Hamstring Stretch
How To Perform: From a deep squat position, straighten your legs to stretch out your hamstrings, then return to the squat position. Hold this position for 15 seconds on one side, and then 15 on the other.
Benefits: Increases hamstring flexibility and engages core muscles. Provides flexibility and strength in the legs, aiding in quick starts and stops.
Lateral Squats
How To Perform: Stand with feet slightly wider than shoulder-width, squat down to one side while keeping the other leg straight, then alternate sides. Hold for 15 seconds per side.
Benefits: Strengthens the inner and outer thighs, improving lateral movement. Enhances side-to-side movements, which is vital for covering the court effectively.
Leg Swings
How To Perform: Hold onto a support for balance, swing one leg forward and backward. Swing for 15 seconds with each leg.
Benefits: Loosens up the hip flexors and hamstrings. Prepares legs for dynamic movements, crucial for quick directional changes.
90/90 Hip Switches
How To Perform: Sit with legs at 90-degree angles, switching from one side to the other. Hold this position for 15 seconds per side.
Benefits: Increases hip joint mobility. Improves hip flexibility, allowing for efficient and swift pivoting.
Kneeling Thoracic Opener
How To Perform: From a kneeling position, place one hand behind your head and rotate your elbow upwards and then down toward your other arm. Hold this position for 15 seconds per side.
Benefits: Enhances thoracic spine mobility. Increases upper body mobility for powerful and effective swings.
This warm-up routine is designed to activate and stretch the main muscle groups used in pickleball, ensuring you enter the game with your body in optimal condition. Spending just 5 minutes on this targeted preparation can dramatically reduce the risk of injury and improve your performance on the court!
For more warm-up recommendations, be sure to check out our article: 7 Warm-Up Exercises for Pickleball.
