Pickleball Warm Up Exercises: Tips to Prevent Injury
In this article, we'll explore the key elements of an effective pickleball warmup, including active movements, dynamic stretches, and mental preparation techniques. We know it is tempting to walk up to the pickleball court, hit a couple of dinks and just start playing.
Before play you should perform dynamic warm up exercises, using full-body movements to get all those pickleball muscle groups engaged and mimic the demands of pickleball. You want to emphasize balance, technique, control, and muscle activation. Well-executed warm up exercises will enhance your performance and significantly reduce the risk of injury. If you have other pre-existing routines like static and dynamic stretching, you can use this a supplement to that. You can even perform your dynamic stretches before you get to the pickleball court and leave yourself some time for these warm up exercises right before you play.
The following sequence was recommended by pickleball physical therapist Brien Lee. You can follow him @TheHealthyPickleballer on Instagram; an account dedicated to advice on how players can stay healthy and move better, on and off the pickleball court.
PCKL got together with PT Brien Lee to film the below video that walks players through warm up exercises that you should do before you play pickleball.
Light Cardio:
- Jumping jacks
- Forward/backward jog
- Side Shuffle
- Carioca
Dynamic Movements:
- Lunge with twist
- Side lunge with reach
- Heel Scoops
Hand eye coordination:
- 2 person, 2 ball toss
