Recently I had a conversation with a friend about the importance of a warm up or stretching before pickleball. She told me that two of her friends have recently been injured playing pickleball-TWO injuries in one friend group!

The thought of getting injured and being unable to play is a very scary thought for me. 

To avoid the same fate, I looked into some simple warm-up stretches that can help prevent injury before you hit the court.

Prefer to watch instead of read? Here’s a 3-minute video where I show you the stretches.

It’s important to warm up the whole body. Below are a few dynamic stretches that can be done before play. Warming up helps increase blood flow to your muscles and improves joint mobility, which can reduce your risk of common pickleball injuries like ankle sprains or shoulder sprains.

Lower Body

A good stretch for the ankle is ankle rotations. This can be done while standing or sitting. Rotate your ankle in one direction 8-10 times then switch to the other direction. Then do it again on your opposite foot. Pointing and flexing the foot can give a good stretch as well.

Leg swings are another good stretch. If you need to, hold on to a bench or friend and swing one leg from side to side then back and forth. Do this 8-10 times then switch legs. 

Upper Body & Torso

I love arm circles because they feel so outrageous, and take up so much space. Swing your arm up and back 8-10 times in one direction. Switch the other direction then do the next arm in both directions. Follow up with some wrist rotations for both hands in both directions.

Stand with your feet shoulder width apart with your hands on your hips and twist your body from side to side 8-10 times. You can extend your arms out to get a bigger stretch along the side of your body.

These are just a few stretches that have helped me. Always check with a professional if you’re recovering from an injury or have specific concerns.

What stretches do you do before hitting the court? Let me know in the comments!