Pickleball Warm-Up for Players Over 50 (5 Minutes, Courtside)

Falls and sprains are among the most common pickleball injuries [R32]. A warm-up will not prevent all of them. What it can do is prepare your joints and muscles for quick changes of direction and for reaching.

Warm-up research in this age group is limited, so the advice here is based on general exercise principles. Many clinicians suggest starting with range of motion, then adding light control, before you play hard.

That order matches how shoulder rehab commonly progresses: range of motion, then strength, then control and coordination [R16].

• Gentle range work has some support. In a 2025 review of rotator cuff-related shoulder pain, mobilization and stretching improved function and pain over about two months [R03]. That was a study of people with shoulder pain, not healthy players, so it is a reason to try gentle range work, not proof that it prevents injury.
• Balance and strength matter for older adults. WHO guidance for adults 65 and older emphasises multicomponent activity that builds functional balance and strength on at least three days a week [R07].
• Falls are a major concern. Falls were the most common mechanism in one large US injury study of pickleball [R32].

1. Shoulder rolls (1 minute). Stand or sit tall. Roll both shoulders forward in small circles, then back. Keep the neck relaxed.
2. Arm swings (1 minute). Let both arms swing gently forward and back, like a pendulum. Seated option: do the same in a sturdy chair, with the body upright.
3. Wall reach (1 minute). Face a wall with your hands on it. Walk your fingers up to a comfortable height, then return. Keep the motion smooth and small.
4. Trunk turns (1 minute). Stand with feet hip-width apart. Hold your hands at chest height and turn your upper body gently from side to side. Keep the hips facing forward. Seated option: turn in the chair.
5. Ready-position reach (1 minute). Bend the knees slightly, hold the paddle in front, and reach it gently out to each side. Seated option: sit forward in the chair and reach the arms out to the sides.