Preventing Pickleball Pitfalls: Five Tips to Keep You on the Court
For many, pickleball has become a passion due to its blending of physical exercise, intense competition, and good, clean fun.
But pickleball and pain can, unfortunately, go together, too. Especially for older players, who can have more complications from falls.
Strains, sprains, broken bones, and other injuries are knocking some pickleball players out of the game.
Whether you are a seasoned veteran or a rookie looking forward to your first game, following these five tips can help you stay on the court—and out of an injury pickle.
Create consistent warm-up and cool-down routines. Arrive to games early enough to stretch and get your blood pumping. Try arm circles, jumping jacks, lunges, and light jogging. Then, after your games end, complete some cool-down stretching and take a relaxing walk.
Find and use the right gear. Sports stores that regularly sell pickleball equipment can help you find a properly sized paddle and adequate shoes for your preferred playing surface. When selecting shoes, remember that pickleball requires quick changes in direction, making ankle support important. If you have had ankle, knee, or elbow problems in the past, consider wearing supportive sleeves or braces—especially if your doctor recommends it.
Hydrate properly. Drink plenty of water before, during, and after games. Dehydration increases the risk of cramps, injuries, and other health complications. To estimate how much water you should drink daily, divide your body weight in pounds by two. The answer is the number of ounces of water to target daily. So, if you weigh 160 pounds, aim to drink 80 ounces per day. On top of that, experts recommend drinking eight additional ounces of water for every 30 minutes of exercise.
Don’t overdo it. Newcomers should progress slowly. Overuse injuries—pickleball elbow, similar to tennis elbow, is a common one—can occur from overdoing it. This advice applies to regulars, too. If something is hurting after playing, let things calm down before playing again. If pain persists, it could be time to call your doctor. Regardless of your playing experience, if you feel yourself hesitating before making a dive or launching into a risky leap, your instincts may be telling you to let that ball go.
Do work out in other ways. Strengthening your legs, arms, shoulders, and core—and improving your cardiovascular endurance—won’t just help decrease your injury risk while playing pickleball. Improving these areas can also sharpen your skills. Walking, jogging, swimming, and resistance training can all be beneficial to pickleball players.
BJC HealthCare offers expert orthopedic care close to home. Learn more
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