Exercises to Support Your Pickleball Game
Endurance, flexibility, mobility, and strength are four physical attributes pickleball players must have to play a pickleball game competitively. Endurance to play for extended periods of time, flexibility to stretch your body to make a play, mobility to move around the court, and strength to hit the ball with force.
In order to gain all of these physical traits, some physical activity must be done off the pickleball court.
Pickleball is a sport requiring both cardio and strength training. Luckily, The Pickleball Doctor has pickleball workouts to improve body strength and overall fitness level to improve gameplay and prevent injury while increasing your confidence on the court.
These proven pickleball exercises work the specific muscles you need to play pickleball and will help you move around the court with better agility and speed.
Strength and Endurance Pickleball Drills
As we know, pickleball is a full-body sport, so strength and conditioning workouts, including pickleball drills, should target more than just one body part.
This total body, pickleball-friendly workout can be done all the way through or broken down and added to other workouts throughout the week. All of these exercises can be done as bodyweight exercises or can incorporate the use of a resistance band.
Bird dog
Bodyweight side lying triceps
Clam shells
Eagle plank
Forearm plank
Horizontal abduction
Monster walks
One leg bridge
Plank push-up
Shoulder external rotation
Shoulder rotation at 90 degrees
Side plank
Single leg deadlift
Single-leg deadlift to push-up
Slow squats
Spider plank
Wall circle climbs
See the proper form for these exercises in the Pickleball Doctor’s video below:
These exercises target the lower body and improve leg strength, leg muscle tone, and improve range of motion. They also target the upper body and lower back, working the core muscles for stability. Start with a couple of reps of each until you’re able to perform them without exhaustion, and then add additional reps to challenge your muscles.
Flexibility and Mobility Pickleball Exercises
When it comes to flexibility and mobility, much of the work here is in stretching tight muscles. Not only will targeted stretching increase your body’s mobility and flexibility in the places you need it most, but it will also help you to cool down and recover after a tough workout or game.
The following video from the Pickleball Doctor demonstrates the following pickleball mobility and stretching exercises for warm ups and cooldowns:
Additional foam rolling work
Adductor stretch
Ankle mobility
Calf stretch
Hamstring stretch
Hip and thoracic rotation
Hip flexor stretch
Hip mobility
Lumbar spine mobility
Posterior shoulder stretch
Quadriceps stretch
Shoulder rotation mobility
Thoracic spine mobility
Triceps stretch
Upper back stretch
Final Thoughts
Pickleball can be more than just a fun game with friends.
According to a Tweet on X from Reuters, "The Sports and Fitness Industry Association says pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in the United States. And it’s relentlessly stealing tennis of its players and real estate.”
It’s a physically demanding full-body workout that requires proper preparation and recovery. Incorporate these workouts or stretches into your routine and see what a difference it makes in your game.
