Padel might look effortless from the sidelines, and yes, it’s fun and social, but it also involves quick reactions, sharp direction changes and explosive movement. That’s why warming up before you play is one of the simplest, smartest things you can do. It helps you move better, feel more confident and significantly reduces your risk of injury. The good news? A proper warm-up doesn’t need to take more than 10 minutes. Here’s how to do it.

Step 1: light cardio (3–5 minutes)

Start with a few minutes of gentle aerobic movement to raise your heart rate and get your muscles warm. You're not aiming to tire yourself out just to wake up your body and prepare it for action. Some effective options:

- Jog around the court
- Skipping with a rope
- High knees or heel flicks
- Side-to-side shuffles along the baseline‍

This gets the blood flowing and prepares your joints for more dynamic movement.

Step 2: dynamic stretching (3–5 minutes)

Once you’re warm, move into dynamic stretching -stretches that involve movement and mimic what you’ll do on court. Focus on:

- Arm circles and shoulder rolls for mobility
- Torso twists to activate your core and rotation
- Leg swings (forward-backward and side-to-side)
- Walking lunges or sumo squats to open the hips
- Ankle circles or bouncing heel raises for foot and ankle prep

These help activate the muscles you’ll use during play and improve your range of motion without holding static positions.

Step 3: court-specific drills (2–3 minutes)

Now it’s time to switch your brain into match mode. The goal here is to get your timing, reactions and court movement tuned up. You could:

- Rally gently near the service line with a partner then move into transitions, so progressing from the baseline to the net and back again
- Hit a few volleys or overheads, focusing on control
- Practise lateral footwork or small adjustment steps

This helps lock in your rhythm and builds connection between movement and decision-making.

Why it matters

Even though padel is lower impact than some other racket sports, it still puts stress on your shoulders, ankles, and knees especially if you jump straight into a match cold. A good warm-up helps you:

- Prevent common injuries like padel elbow, ankle sprains and shoulder strains
- Improve your balance, coordination and reaction speed
- Start the match more focused and in control
- Move with more confidence, especially in the early points

Ready to put it into practice?

Whether you’re joining a coaching session or just hitting with friends, arriving five minutes early to do a short warm-up is one of the best habits you can build.

Ready to play? Join an Intro to Padel session