The Ultimate Pickleball Warm Up exercises

Introduction

Warm up exercises for pickleball are essential for preventing injury and improving performance on the court. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced player, incorporating pickleball stretches and exercises into your pre-game routine can make a big difference in how you play. In this blog post, we’ll provide an overview of the benefits of a proper pickleball warm up and give you a variety of exercises and stretches for pickleball players to try out. From dynamic stretching to cardio exercises, we’ve got you covered with a range of pickleball warm up exercises that will help you get your body ready for the fast-paced action of the game. If you want to take your pickleball game to the next level, read on to learn more about the exercises for pickleball players and pickle ball exercises that can help you succeed!

JOGGING

Jogging is a great warm up exercise and can be done for as little as 5 minutes or more, depending on your fitness level. The jogging motion helps to get your heart rate up and blood flowing, which can help with muscle activation.

Make sure to maintain proper posture during jogging by keeping your chest tall and shoulders back, holding onto the paddle lightly in front of you. This will help prevent injury to the upper body from prolonged periods of this exercise if performed incorrectly otherwise.

BUTT KICKERS AND HIGH KNEES

Butt Kickers and High Knees are two exercises that will help you improve your leg strength, co-ordination and reaction time.

Both of these exercises involve moving the legs back and forth quickly.

Butt Kickers: Standing upright, knees straight, raise your right foot to a 45-degree angle; then flex forward at the hips so that your left hand touches the floor behind you while keeping both feet together on the ground. Do this 10 times before switching to work on your left side. When done properly, this exercise is great for building up strength in your glutes (butt muscles). And since butt muscles are some of the largest muscle groups in our bodies, this exercise also helps improve balance, posture and stability when playing pickleball!

SIDE STEPS

Side steps are great for warming up the legs and hips, which is important because in pickleball you will be running across the court quite a bit! Side steps also help with warming up core muscles, shoulders and arms.

This is important because it helps avoid injury from repetitive stress injuries caused by improper form with overhead strokes or forehands/backhands that reach too far forward or back behind your body (see our article on how to avoid over-rotation).

Lastly side stepping helps with warming up your neck because it requires constant turning in one direction followed by rotation back around toward center again.

HAMSTRING KICKS

This warm-up exercise is great for activating the muscles of your lower body and helps to stretch out your hamstrings.

– Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, and arms out to the sides in a T-position (like when you’re holding a pickleball paddle).

– Lift one foot off the ground and slowly bring it back behind you, keeping knee straight as much as possible; then return to starting position. Repeat on other side.

– Hold a weight in each hand and position them at shoulder height and shoulder-width apart. – Slowly twist from side to side, keeping your arms straight. Make sure not to rotate too quickly or too slowly.

LUNGES

• Get on all fours, hands under shoulders and knees bent.
• Shift weight to your right hand, keeping your left knee bent. Push yourself up with both hands as you extend your right leg back. Keep both feet on the ground as much as possible—don’t let them come off!
• Return to start position, bringing left foot back down into starting position and then repeating with right foot in front again. Repeat for desired reps. If it’s too difficult to balance on one leg while extending back, perform this exercise with both feet off the ground at first; once you get the hang of it, only lift one foot at a time!

ARM CIRCLES

• Arm circles are a great way to get the blood flowing to your arms and shoulders.
• You can do arm circles with your arms straight or bent at the elbow.
• Keep your arms relaxed and soft, making sure they aren’t tense or tight. Your hands should be at shoulder height and moving in a circular motion—not swinging forward.
• When warming up your shoulder muscles, it’s important that you keep them loose so they don’t get stiff from being held too tightly for too long during gameplay!

ARM SWINGS

Arm swings are a great warm up exercise for your upper body. They help to warm up the shoulder and arm muscles, as well as the wrist and forearm muscles. You can do arm swings in any direction, but in general, it’s best to swing your arms from side to side first, then up and down (like an airplane), then forward and back. When you do this move, you should feel your shoulders rotating as they move through space. You should also feel your hands moving with each swing of the arm—this helps activate those smaller muscles that help keep your wrists stable while playing pickleball! Keep practicing until you get used to opening up with your hips when swinging through so that you are not just swinging at one speed but instead have a bit of variation in speed depending on where on the court you are standing or serving from.

TORSO TWISTS AND THE SUMO STRETCH

Torso twists and the sumo stretch are two exercises that are great for warming up your core, hips, legs and shoulders.

To perform the sumo stretch:

• Stand with your feet wide apart (about 3-4 ft).
• Bend over at the waist until your hands touch the floor in front of you while keeping your back straight.
• Lift one leg behind you while keeping it straight and hold for 10 seconds or more before switching to the other side. Do this a total of 3 times on each side.

To perform Torso Twists:

• Stand with feet shoulder width apart with arms down at sides or above head (use weights if desired).
• Slowly rotate from left to right as far as possible without twisting torso sideways too much (this could cause injury) then alternate directions until dizziness occurs or muscles fatigue from holding position too long

WRIST AND ANKLE CIRCLES

Wrist and ankle circles are great for warming up the wrists and ankles. Make sure you are moving your arms and legs in a fluid motion, breathing properly, and moving slowly. The benefits of wrist and ankle circles include:

• Warming up the body’s joints by creating heat in them before any activity begins
• Ensuring that the joints are properly lubricated to facilitate smooth movement when playing pickleball (or doing whatever activity you may choose)

REACHING IN 4 DIRECTIONS

This exercise is designed to stretch and warm up the major muscle groups used in pickleball, including the shoulders, hips, and legs. To perform this exercise, start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart. Then, reach up with your right hand and touch your left hand to your right ankle. Next, reach down with your left hand and touch your right hand to your left ankle. Repeat this process, reaching to the right and then to the left. Not only this exercise will help you warm up but also it will help you to prevent injuries. Make sure to include this exercise in your regular pickleball warm-up routine and consider other pickleball stretches and exercises to help improve your game and stay injury-free.

Specific pickleball exercises

When it comes to warming up for a pickleball game, it’s important to not only stretch your muscles, but also to simulate the specific movements you’ll be using on the court. This is where specific pickleball warm-up exercises come in. Some examples of exercises that simulate pickleball movements include forehand and backhand swings. To practice these exercises, start by standing in your ready position with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold your pickleball paddle in your hand and begin to swing it back and forth, simulating a forehand or backhand shot. It’s important to focus on proper form and technique as you practice these exercises, making sure to keep your elbow close to your body and using your wrist to generate power.

Another tip is to practice these exercises in front of a mirror, this will allow you to see your form and make adjustments as needed. Incorporating these specific pickleball warm-up exercises into your routine can help improve your pickleball game and prevent injury.

Conclusion

These exercises are great for warming up your body and getting ready to play pickleball. If you keep these exercises in mind while playing, they will help you maintain good form and increase your endurance during the game. Remember that it’s important not only to focus on each individual exercise but also work them into a full routine so they become easy and comfortable to do before every match!