Fitness Trainer-Approved Warm-Up Exercises To Improve Your Pickleball And Padel Game

Playing sports like pickleball and padel is an entertaining way to stay active, challenge yourself and have fun. These fast-paced racquet sports require quick reflexes, agility, and strategy. They are an excellent way to boost cardiovascular fitness, hand-eye coordination and social connections. Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned player, a strong warm-up is essential to prevent injuries. It also boosts your performance and enhances your overall game experience. Fitness trainer Yasmin Karachiwala shares tried and tested warm-up exercises to do before playing pickleball and padel. 

In a post shared on Instagram, she writes, "Level up your pickle and padel game with this game-changing warm-up! 14 targeted exercises designed to activate every muscle you'll need on the court. Trust the process, feel the difference!" 

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A post shared by Yasmin Karachiwala | Celebrity Fitness Instructor (@yasminkarachiwala)

Warm-up exercises for pickleball (10-12 reps each)

1. Standing Spine Twist: This exercise loosens the spine and prepares the torso for dynamic movements. 
2. Calf Raises: This exercise targets the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles, helping to improve ankle stability and power.
3. Single Leg Calf Raises: This one takes calf raises to the next level by challenging balance and stability on one leg. It strengthens the calf muscles and improves proprioception. 
4. Pogo Jumps: This plyometric exercise enhances power, speed, and agility. By mimicking the explosive movements required in pickleball and padel, this exercise prepares your legs for rapid and high-intensity actions.
5. Reverse Lunges with Twist: This exercise targets the legs, glutes, and core while improving flexibility and mobility in the hips and spine. 
6. Squat Jumps: Squat jumps are a powerful exercise for building lower-body strength, power, and explosiveness. It will improve your ability to explosively drive upward and cover the court quickly.
7. Lateral Side-to-Side Jumps: This exercise enhances lateral movement and agility, allowing you to quickly shift direction and cover the court.
8. Forward and Backwards Jumps: This exercise improves power, speed, and agility by challenging you to explosively jump forward and backwards. 
9. Single Leg Lateral Jumps: A challenging exercise, single-leg lateral jumps improve your balance, stability, and power. 
10. Shoulder External Rotations with Ball: This exercise targets the rotator cuff muscles, improving shoulder mobility and stability. 
11. Shoulder Internal Rotations with Ball: Shoulder internal rotations complement external rotations by maintaining a balanced range of motion in the shoulder joint. This exercise helps improve shoulder health and athletic performance.
12. Robot Arms with Ball: It is an effective way to warm up the shoulders and improve mobility. 
13. Chest Expansion: Chest expansion exercises improve posture, flexibility, and mobility in the chest and shoulders.
14. Wrist Mobility: This exercise is essential for maintaining flexibility and range of motion in the wrists.

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