Kitchen & Court

A Pickleball Warm-Up for Players Over 55

A simple, five-minute warm-up that loosens the joints most likely to complain and lowers the fall and strain risk older players face most.

By Stephen V.Last updated How we research

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Most pickleball injuries in older players don’t happen because the sport is dangerous — they happen because someone walked straight from the car onto the court and lunged for a ball cold. A five-minute warm-up is the cheapest, most effective injury insurance there is, and it takes less time than lacing your shoes. Here’s a simple routine built for a body over 55.

Why the warm-up matters more as you age

Injury data is clear that for players over 60, the biggest risks are falls and wrist injuries— and both are far more likely when muscles are cold and balance reflexes are still half-asleep. Warming up raises your heart rate, loosens stiff joints, and switches on the stabilizing muscles that keep you upright when you reach or change direction. The CDC even recommends balance work as a specific priority for older adults; the start of a pickleball session is a perfect place to get some.

The five-minute routine

Keep everything gentle and dynamic— moving mobility, not long held stretches (save those for afterward). Work through these in order:

  1. Get moving (1–2 min). Walk briskly around the court or march on the spot to raise your heart rate and warm the muscles before you stretch anything.
  2. Ankles and knees. Slow ankle circles each way, then gentle knee bends or a few sit-to-stands. These are the joints that do the stopping and pivoting.
  3. Hips. Easy front-to-back and side-to-side leg swings (hold a fence for balance), plus a few slow, shallow lunges.
  4. Shoulders. Roll the shoulders back, then arm circles growing from small to large, to prepare for reaching and overheads.
  5. Wrists and hands.Circle the wrists both ways and open and close your hands several times — especially important if you have arthritis or an achy paddle wrist.
  6. Ease into hitting. Start with soft dinks and gentle rallies for a couple of minutes before playing points, letting the pace build gradually.

Don’t forget the cool-down

When you finish, walk for a minute to let your heart rate come down, then do a few gentle, held stretches for the calves, hamstrings, shoulders and forearms while you’re still warm. It eases next-day stiffness and is a good moment to notice any niggle before it becomes a problem.

A note on listening to your body

A warm-up prepares the body; it doesn’t override pain. If a joint is sharply painful, swelling, or clearly not right, that’s a signal to rest and, if it persists, see a doctor — nothing here is medical advice. But for the everyday stiffness that comes with a few decades on the clock, five gentle minutes before you play is the difference between finishing the session feeling good and finishing it sore.

General information, not medical advice. Kitchen & Court is written by a pickleball enthusiast, not a doctor or physical therapist. If you have arthritis, a heart condition, a recent injury or any concern about starting a new sport, talk to your doctor first. Warm up, start gently, and stop if something hurts.

Frequently asked questions

Why should older pickleball players warm up?

Because starting cold is when strains and awkward falls happen, and injury data shows falls and wrist injuries are the biggest risks for players over 60. A few minutes of gentle movement raises your heart rate, loosens stiff joints, and switches on the muscles that keep you balanced — all of which lowers the chance of getting hurt in the first few minutes of play.

How long should a pickleball warm-up take?

Around five minutes is plenty for recreational play — a minute or two of light movement to raise the heart rate, then gentle mobility for the ankles, knees, hips, shoulders and wrists, finishing with a few soft dinks before you play points. The goal is to arrive at your first real rally already warm, not cold.

Should I stretch before or after pickleball?

Keep it dynamic before (gentle, moving mobility like leg swings and arm circles) and save longer, held stretches for after, when the muscles are warm. Static stretching a cold muscle doesn't prevent injury and can feel counterproductive; a moving warm-up prepares the body for the game far better.

Does warming up help arthritis?

Yes — gentle movement before activity is one of the simplest things that helps arthritic joints. It increases blood flow, loosens stiffness and makes the first few minutes of play far more comfortable. Pay extra attention to the joints your arthritis affects, whether that's the hands, wrists or knees, and ease in rather than starting hard.

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