5 Pickleball Warm Up Moves That Prevent Injuries Before You Play
A proper pickleball warm up takes about five minutes and can keep you off the sidelines. Here are the squats, side slides, strength drills, and stretches a physical therapist recommends.
You walk onto the court, take a couple of casual swings, and start your first game cold.
Ten minutes later your shoulder feels tight, your knee is grumbling, and you wonder why you keep getting hurt.
A proper pickleball warm up would have fixed most of that.
The advice here comes from Dr. Christina, a doctor of physical therapy who goes by Dr. Christina - The Picky PT on YouTube.
She breaks down why pickleball injuries are climbing and what you can do about it with simple, repeatable habits.
This article covers the dynamic warm up, the strength work that protects your shoulder, and the stretches you should do after you play.
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Why Are Pickleball Injuries on the Rise?
Injuries are rising because players treat the sport as too gentle to need real preparation.
Dr. Christina points to an early rumor that pickleball was safer than tennis, which led many people to skip the pickleball warm up entirely, along with strength work and stretching.
That rumor does real damage.
Researchers have made the same point: a 2025 nationwide survey of 1,758 players noted that because pickleball looks less demanding than other racquet sports, players may underestimate the injury risk and skip a proper warm up.
That same survey found roughly 69% of players reported some kind of injury or discomfort over a single year.
Plenty of them keep playing through pain instead of backing off.
The volume of players is part of the math here.
SFIA counted 24.3 million American pickleball players in 2025, and more bodies on court means more bodies in clinics.
One 10-year analysis of emergency department visits found a roughly 22-fold jump in pickleball injuries between 2013 and 2022. The pattern behind it is predictable.
People play three or four hours, never train outside the court, and then wonder why their body breaks down.
That risk climbs with age, which is why pickleball after 50 deserves a different level of preparation.
What Does a Good Pickleball Warm Up Look Like?
A good pickleball warm up is dynamic, which means you keep moving instead of holding positions.
It should take about five minutes and mimic the positions you will use during play.
Dynamic stretching is movement based preparation where you never stop and hold.
It raises your heart rate, wakes up your muscles, and rehearses the exact patterns you are about to use.
This is different from the long, held stretches you save for after you play. Static holds before a match can leave muscles feeling flat, so keep those for later.
If you want a fuller pregame routine, check out the pickleball warm up routine that preps you to compete.
Move 1: Squats for Your Ready Stance
Squats open your glutes and teach you to sit back into your hips, which is the foundation of a strong ready position. Aim for about 20 reps.
- Hinge at your hips and send your weight back.
- Keep your knees from drifting forward past your toes.
- Stand up using your core, not by throwing your chest forward.
Holding your core in as you rise is practice for how you should feel during every point.
You are building the habit of playing with an engaged trunk, which is the same thing that drives better pickleball posture, control, and balance.
Move 2: Side Slides Across the Court
Side slides prepare your legs for the quick lateral steps you use to reach a dink or a wide drive. Run the full length of the court about four times.
The key is keeping your feet in neutral and your knees in neutral as you skip from one side to the other. Your toes should point forward, not splay out.
That neutral position is exactly where you want your feet when you are stretched wide for a ball.
Better footwork habits protect your joints, and so does learning to fix your feet in the transition zone.
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Why Does Strength Work Outside the Court Matter?
A pickleball warm up prepares you for today.
Strength work is what keeps you playing for years, because playing alone does not build the shoulder and trunk strength the sport demands.
Dr. Christina’s favorite exercise is resisted diagonal movement.
You use a TheraBand or a cable column machine and pull across your body, which mirrors your backhand and forehand swings.
Your legs need the same treatment, which is where lower body exercises for explosive pickleball legs earn their place in the week.
Move 3: The Backhand Diagonal Pull
Anchor the band or cable and pull diagonally across your body like you are hitting a backhand.
The goal is to strengthen your shoulder blade muscles rather than overload your rotator cuff.
- Squeeze your shoulder blade down and back to start the movement.
- Let your shoulder blade lead and continue the motion.
- Stop the rep if your shoulder blade quits moving while your arm keeps going.
That last point is the big one.
When your arm keeps traveling after your shoulder blade stops, you are teaching your rotator cuff to do too much work and building a bad habit.
Move 4: The Forehand Diagonal Pull
Use the same band or cable setup and pull across your body in the forehand direction. This prepares you for the forehand swing.
Reach across without letting your shoulder pop up toward your ear. Keep your shoulder blade down as you reach, and the strengthening lands where you want it.
Better swing mechanics start with a stable shoulder, and our breakdown of five ways to hit cleaner pickleball shots shows how that stability shows up in your contact.
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What Should You Do After You Finish Playing?
After you play, switch to prolonged static stretches that you hold for 30 to 90 seconds.
This is when holding a stretch actually helps, because your muscles are warm and you are no longer asking them to perform.
Skipping this step is one of the most common mistakes among recreational players.
Recovery is part of training, and our ranking of seven pickleball recovery methods shows where stretching fits.
A quick essential stretching routine bookends your pickleball warm up nicely.
Move 5: Forearm Stretches and Thoracic Rotation
Your forearms work hard on every grip squeeze, so give them a long stretch.
Stretch your forearm muscles downward and hold for 30 to 90 seconds, then stretch them upward and hold for the same time.
Next, work on thoracic rotation. You twist your upper trunk while keeping your pelvis facing forward.
- Do it standing upright.
- Do it against a wall for extra feedback.
- Do it bent over, the way you see golfers loosen up.
A mobile upper back lets you use your whole body to generate swing power instead of relying on your arm.
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How Does a Warm Up Connect to Your Overall Game?
A pickleball warm up improves your game because it primes the exact positions you need during a rally.
Neutral feet, a stable core, and a quiet shoulder all show up in your shot quality, not just your injury risk.
Players who feel loose and balanced make cleaner contact and recover faster between shots.
That matters whether you are working on the soft game or trying to stop spraying balls long.
Pair the routine with the 12 drills you need to play your best pickleball in 2026 and the warm up stops feeling like homework.
The Dink Media Team
Is a Five Minute Warm Up Really Enough?
Yes, five minutes is enough to prepare your body for casual and competitive play when you do it with intent.
Twenty squats and four lengths of side slides will raise your heart rate and activate the right muscles.
The warm up is not meant to be exhausting. It is meant to remind your body what positions you want to hold while you play.
If you want to build a full session around it, our guide to a pro's optimal two hour pickleball practice plan shows how to structure the time.
You can also pair it with five pickleball practice drills for any skill level.
A Quick Checklist You Can Screenshot
- 20 squats, hinging at the hips with a braced core.
- Side slides down the court four times, feet and knees neutral.
- Resisted backhand diagonal pulls, leading with your shoulder blade.
- Resisted forehand diagonal pulls, keeping your shoulder down.
- After playing, hold forearm stretches and thoracic rotations for 30 to 90 seconds.
Items one and two are your pregame warm up. Items three and four are your strength work away from the court.
Item five is your cooldown. Treat all three as part of playing, not extras.
The Dink Media Team
When Should You See a Physical Therapist?
See a physical therapist if you change your routine and still get injured while playing.
Dr. Christina recommends a neuromuscular expert who can build a personalized program for you and your specific issues.
Pain that lingers for more than a week, or pain that changes how you swing, is not something to push through.
Fixing a small movement habit early is far easier than rehabbing a bigger injury later.
For foot pain specifically, our guide on pickleball plantar fasciitis causes, exercises, and relief is worth a read.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long should a pickleball warm up take?
About five minutes is enough for most players. Focus on dynamic moves like squats and side slides rather than long holds.
Should I stretch before playing pickleball?
Do dynamic stretching before you play, meaning constant movement without stopping. Save the long held stretches for after you finish.
How long should I hold stretches after pickleball?
Hold each stretch for at least 30 to 90 seconds. Forearm stretches and thoracic rotations are especially useful after a session.
What exercises protect my shoulder for pickleball?
Resisted diagonal pulls with a TheraBand or cable machine strengthen your shoulder blade muscles. Lead with your shoulder blade so your rotator cuff does not take over.
Is pickleball really less risky than tennis?
Not enough to skip preparation. Pickleball injuries are rising, and players still need a warm up, strength work, and a cooldown.
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