Why Pickleball Warm-Up Exercises Are Important?
As we mentioned earlier, pickleball warm-up exercises might be an extra or unimportant thing to do before playing pickleball. But you will hundred percent thank yourself after the match if you have done the warm-up drills.
Let’s get help from science to understand the importance of warm-up for pickleball or any sports in general. Many studies have found that it is vital to try to warm-up drills before playing extreme sports.
Even though pickleball is not an extreme form of sport, it is still a form of sport that requires some running and strength to hit the ball.
Let’s understand the importance of a complete scenario. Assume you are about to do a pickleball exercise session with your friends. In this situation, your heart rate is low and muscles are stiff due to the resting situation.
If you start to play the match without any warm-up, your heart will have to suddenly increase the beats. This sudden increase in beats is not good for your heart and other organs of the body.
Moreover, the sudden usage of the muscles will cause them to fatigue. This fatigue might give you sore and painful muscles after the match, which is the last thing we want.
However, if you have done a proper warm-up for pickleball, your heartbeat will increase slowly and healthily. Moreover, your muscles will also not have to face the sudden strain.
Another important reason for doing pickleball warm-up drills is that it helps you to prevent injuries. As the muscles are already stretched and don’t feel a sudden strain, there are fewer chances of injury in pickleball.
Here is a list of some other reasons why you should do pickleball warm-up;
- Helps in the rapid recovery of the muscles
- Bring the blood and oxygen to the muscles
- Increases the metabolism of the body, which will help in losing calories
- Once you’re relaxed and pumped up, your performance will be improved.
Dynamic Warm-up Drills for Pickleball
Before explaining the best pickleball warm-up, let us give you a basic difference between static and dynamic drills so that you don’t get confused.
Static exercises are done after the match. This involves drills such as holding a certain position or stretching your body in different motions to bring back your heartbeat to normal.
Let’s have a look at 5 best dynamic warm-up drills for pickleball;
Jogging For Pickleball Players
Jogging is a form of dynamic drill. Although it’s a very basic drill, it is one of the best pickleball warmup.
If you are planning to increase your heart rate fastly but have a very short period, then jogging is a good option for you.
There are two sorts of jogging that you can do before a match to kick-start your muscles;
- Normal Jogging – This is the basic sort of jogging. Unfortunately, you need a lot of space to do this drill, but if you plan on going to the outdoor door, there are chances to find a place to do normal jogging.
- Spot Jogging – Spot Jogging is the best option for those who use indoor pickleball courts for match or practice sessions. To do this drill, you have to stand on a spot and move your legs and pretend you are jogging. It is similar to jogging on a treadmill, except there is no treadmill in spot jogging.
Skipping For Pickleball Players
Another warm-up exercise that is good for pickleball players is skipping. Skipping can be challenging and may require a lot of energy, but it is important to strengthen the muscles of the core, legs, as well as arms. These muscles are essential for pickleball, as they help you to move fast and to hit the ball with force and spin.
While playing pickleball, this warm-up exercise will help you to run quickly and to return the ball with great power to generate spins. You can also skip while holding a pickleball paddle in your hand to get used to the weight and grip. Skipping is a useful way to warm up your body and improve your pickleball skills.
How to Do Lunges and High Knees for a Lower Body Workout
Lunges is another form of dynamic exercise that targets multiple muscle groups in the lower body, including the glutes, quads, hamstrings, and calves. These muscles are important for playing pickleball, as they help you move quickly and powerfully on the pickleball court.
Here’s a quick step-by-step method to do the proper lunges;
- Stand with your feet in a way that they hip apart and step forward with your right leg.
- Bend both knees until your right thigh is parallel to the ground and your left knee is above the floor.
- Push your right foot and return to the starting position. Repeat with the left leg.
Lunges can be done with or without weights and can be modified to other forms of lunges such as the side or walking lunges. You can also do lunges while holding a pickleball paddle in front of you to improve your balance and coordination. Lunges are a great way to strengthen your lower body and prepare for pickleball. High knees are a great way to add some intensity and challenge to your lunges.
Arm Circles
It is important to conduct warm-up exercises for your arm as they are going to be used throughout the game. Some shots in pickleball require you to have stretchy or flexible arms which is only achievable if you conduct a proper warm-up.
You can do arm circles to do this. You can move your arms forwards, backward, horizontally, or even in a circular motion to improve flexibility.
Core Twists
To generate proper topspin and effective shots, your core has to be strong and engaged. Therefore, do the core Twists before a pickleball game to accurately hit those shots!
Summary of This Exercises in Pickleball
Now the next time you’re about to play a practice match or the actual game, do not forget to warm up your muscles. Otherwise, you might get sore muscles and will find it difficult to play for days. If you want to learn more about how to warm up properly and improve your pickleball skills, you can check out pickleball university, an online platform that offers courses and tips for pickleball players of all levels.
