“Just stretch a bit and you’ll be fine!” That might have worked when we were 25.
But for those of us who’ve gained a little wisdom (and maybe a few creaky joints) along the way, our bodies need something different now.
Studies show stretching cold muscles before playing can decrease performance and increase injury risk. This happens because cold muscles are stiff and more prone to tearing.
Instead, the best way to warm up is to activate your muscles, wake up your reflexes, and switch your brain into “game mode.”
The “Smart Start” Warm-Up
Use the below routine to play longer, recover faster, and stay injury-free.:
1. Move First
Start with 2–3 minutes of gentle movement. Walk briskly around the court, add a few side shuffles, and let your body heat up.
This increases blood flow to muscles and signals your joints that it’s game time, not nap time.
2. Mobilize the “Big Three”
Your shoulders, hips, and ankles do most of the work in pickleball. Especially during those sudden reaches and quick pivots. Here’s what to do to warm them up:
Do 10 arm circles forward and back, make wide hip circles, and do a few ankle rolls (hold the net if you need support).
3. Lunges With a Twist
Step forward into a gentle lunge, twist your torso toward your front leg (paddle in hand), and repeat on each side 5 times. Then add a few lateral lunges.
These movements wake up your core and hips – your secret weapons for dinking, reaching, and kitchen-line heroics.
4. Prime Your Quickness
Do you often feel like you’re “one step behind” in the opening points? That’s because your brain and body aren’t in sync yet. Let’s fix that.
Stand with feet hip-width apart, knees soft. Do 15 seconds of gentle split-step bounces (the small hops you see tennis players do), rest, then repeat. Better yet, do this with your doubles partner, mirroring each other’s movements.
5. Shadow Dinks and Volleys
Finish with 30 seconds of “shadow play” – pretend dinks and volleys along the kitchen line, paddle in hand.
Shadow play grooves your muscle memory and lets you check in with your body before the real action starts.
Bonus: Tackle Stiffness from the Inside, Too
Even the best warm-up can’t fully counteract stiff joints or aging cartilage. That’s why many active 50+ players now add Advanced Joint Support to their daily routine.
Advanced Joint Support is a 7-in-1 formula that includes a patented form of Boswellia that’s been shown to help relieve joint discomfort and stiffness.
Special for Fit Pickler Readers: Advanced Bionutritionals has offered an exclusive discount for our community. Simply use any of the links in this article to place your order. Your discount will be automatically applied at checkout.
Recap: Your New Routine
- Walk or shuffle for 2–3 minutes before play
- Mobilize shoulders, hips, ankles with circles and rolls
- Gentle lunges and twists (forward and side)
- Split-step bounces to get game-ready
- Paddle-in-hand shadow shots at the kitchen
- (Optional) Consider a daily joint supplement, like Advanced Joint Support
Keep the Good Games Coming
Pickleball isn’t just a game. It’s our social lifeline, our fitness routine, and sometimes, our therapy session all rolled into one.
The players who stay in the game year after year aren’t necessarily the most skilled. They’re the ones who take care of their bodies, both on and off the court.
This simple warm-up routine might seem small, but it’s these little habits that keep us playing into our 70s, 80s, and beyond.
Because nothing beats the feeling of calling out “How about one more?” at the end of the day – and actually meaning it.
See you on the courts!
