Ask players what they warm up before pickleball and the knees and shoulders usually get plenty of attention. There may be a few knee bends, some arm circles, perhaps a stretch or two before everyone starts hitting.
Meanwhile, several other parts of the body are about to do a surprising amount of work.
The feet and ankles have to start, stop, and change direction. The calves help push the body around the court. The hips help players get low and move laterally. The upper back contributes to rotation and reaching. The wrists and forearms control the paddle through everything from soft dinks to fast exchanges.
A useful warm-up prepares the movements the body is about to perform, not just the areas players are accustomed to worrying about.
Start at the Ground: Feet and Ankles
Every movement on the pickleball court begins at the ground. Even a small adjustment at the kitchen requires the foot and ankle to accept weight, stabilize the body, and help push it somewhere else.
Yet feet are easy to overlook because warming them up does not feel particularly athletic.
A minute or two of walking followed by heel raises, gentle ankle circles, and a few controlled rocks from heels toward the balls of the feet can begin preparing the area for movement. From there, small side steps and changes of direction make the warm-up more specific to what is coming.
Ankle movement matters farther up the body as well. When a player has difficulty moving comfortably through the ankle, getting low may require compensation elsewhere. The knees, hips, or torso may have to change position to accomplish the same movement.
The goal before playing is not to dramatically increase ankle flexibility. It is to move the joint through a comfortable range and prepare the feet and ankles for the repeated loading that is about to begin.
Give the Calves Some Attention
Calves work constantly during pickleball. They help players push off, move forward, shuffle, recover, and make the small adjustments that happen before almost every shot.
Going directly from sitting in a car to explosive court movement asks those muscles to make a fairly abrupt transition.
Calf raises are an easy way to start. Rise onto the toes under control and lower again, then add a few gentle marching steps or short forward and backward movements. Once that feels comfortable, a few easy lateral pushes can begin introducing the direction changes used during play.
This does not need to become a workout. The purpose is to progressively increase movement rather than testing how hard the calves can work before the game even starts.
Players with a history of calf or Achilles problems may need a more individualized warm-up, particularly if an area is already painful or unusually stiff.
Wake Up the Hips Before Asking Them to Move Sideways
Pickleball puts the hips to work almost immediately. Players lower into ready positions, shuffle along the kitchen line, reach for wide dinks, rotate during strokes, and push back toward the middle after being pulled off court.
Simple movements can prepare the hips for those demands. Controlled bodyweight squats, side steps, alternating knee lifts, and gentle lunges in several directions all begin moving the hips through ranges that resemble court movement.
The emphasis should be on control rather than depth. A warm-up is not the time to see how low a squat or lunge can go. Start with a comfortable range and allow it to increase naturally as the body warms.
This can also help the first few points feel less awkward. Instead of asking the hips to make their first substantial lateral movement while chasing a sharp angle, they have already practiced moving in that direction.
Do Not Forget the Upper Back
Shoulder warm-ups are common, but the shoulder does not work by itself.
The upper back, particularly the thoracic region, contributes to the rotation and positioning involved in many pickleball strokes. If the torso is barely moving, the shoulder may be asked to provide more of the motion.
Gentle torso rotations are a simple addition to a warm-up. Stand comfortably and rotate from side to side without forcing the end range. Holding the arms in front of the body can make the movement feel more like the rotation used during a stroke.
A few easy shadow swings can then connect that rotation to pickleball. Start slowly with forehands and backhands, then add a few controlled overhead motions if those are comfortable.
Again, the objective is preparation rather than stretching as far as possible. Warm-ups should gradually introduce movement, not force joints into positions they are not ready to reach.
Your Wrist and Forearm Are About to Hit Hundreds of Balls
The wrist and forearm may be small compared with the hips and legs, but they have a busy day ahead.
They help stabilize the paddle, control the paddle face, absorb impact, and contribute to changes in speed and direction. Players who grip tightly can place even more demand on the forearm over the course of a session.
Before playing, open and close the hands several times, gently move the wrists through comfortable circles, and bend and straighten the elbows. A few slow paddle movements can then begin adding the weight of the paddle.
The hitting warm-up should finish the job. Start with easy dinks or other controlled shots before immediately hitting hard drives and rapid volleys. This gives the wrist and forearm a chance to experience progressively more force.
That gradual buildup may be especially useful for players who tend to arrive at open play and immediately begin hitting the ball as hard as possible.
Warm Up Movements, Not Just Body Parts
Thinking about individual areas can help identify what has been neglected, but eventually the warm-up should put the pieces together.
Pickleball is not performed one joint at a time.
A player moving for a wide dink uses the feet and ankles to push from the ground, the legs and hips to move and lower the body, the trunk to help control position, and the arm and paddle to make the shot. Preparing those areas separately is useful, but preparing that movement is even better.
After a few minutes of general movement, add short lateral shuffles, small forward and backward movements, controlled changes of direction, and several shadow strokes. Then begin hitting at an easy pace before progressing toward normal play.
The whole process does not need to take long. What matters is that the intensity increases gradually.
The Mistake: Turning a Warm-Up Into a Stretching Session
Warm-up and flexibility work are not the same thing.
Long, passive stretches may feel productive, but they do not closely resemble the repeated starts, stops, reaches, rotations, and paddle movements that are about to happen on the court. Before playing, active movements that gradually raise body temperature and take joints through comfortable ranges are generally a better fit for the job.
That does not mean stretching has no place in an overall fitness routine. It means the minutes immediately before pickleball have a particular purpose: preparing the body to play pickleball.
The warm-up should increasingly look like the activity ahead.
A Simple Five-Minute Whole-Body Warm-Up
A practical warm-up can be short enough that players will actually do it.
Begin with about a minute of brisk walking around the court. Add several calf raises and ankle movements, followed by controlled squats and alternating side steps or shallow lateral lunges. Next, add gentle torso rotations and arm movements, then open and close the hands and move the wrists through a comfortable range.
Finish with movement that resembles play. Shuffle several steps in each direction, move forward and backward, and make a few easy shadow swings. Once a paddle and ball are involved, begin with controlled shots and gradually increase the pace rather than going immediately into hard drives or fast hands.
No part of the warm-up should hurt. Players dealing with an existing injury, persistent pain, or a condition that affects movement may need different preparation based on guidance from an appropriate healthcare professional.
Final Thoughts
The knees and shoulders deserve attention, but they are only two parts of the system that moves a player around the court.
Feet and ankles provide the base. Calves help create movement. Hips help players get low and move laterally. The upper back contributes to rotation, while the wrists and forearms spend the session controlling the paddle.
A good warm-up does not need an exercise for every muscle. It needs to gradually prepare the body for what is about to happen.
By the time the first game begins, the first lateral push, low reach, quick stop, and hard volley should not also be the first time that day the body has been asked to make those movements.
