Padel Warm-Up
& Injury Prevention

Padel is Belgium’s fastest-growing sport, and with it comes a very predictable set of injuries. The mix of explosive side-to-side movement, overhead smashes and repetitive wrist action loads a few tissues hard — the elbow and shoulder above all, then the lower back and knees. Almost all of it is preventable. Spend eight minutes warming up before you play, and a few minutes twice a week on the elbow work below, and you sharply cut your risk of the complaints that keep players off the court.

#01 Arm Swings & Shoulder Circles

1. Stand tall, arms relaxed by your sides.
2. Swing both arms forward and back like a pendulum, 10 times, gradually increasing the range.
3. Then make large backward shoulder circles, 10 times, then forward, 10 times.
4. Finish with 10 cross-body arm swings (hug yourself, then fling the arms wide).

#02 Wrist & Forearm Mobiliser

1. Hold your arm out straight, palm down.
2. Slowly circle the wrist 10 times each direction.
3. Gently pull the fingers down and back to feel a light stretch on top of the forearm; hold 10 seconds.
4. Turn the palm up and repeat. Do both arms.

#03 Lateral Lunges

1. Stand with feet wide, hands in front for balance.
2. Shift your weight over your right leg, bending the knee and sitting the hip back; keep the left leg straight.
3. Feel a stretch through the left inner thigh, then push back to centre.
4. Alternate sides, 8–10 times each, moving smoothly.

#04 Thoracic Rotations

1. Stand with feet shoulder-width, knees soft, arms crossed over your chest.
2. Rotate your upper body to the right, letting your gaze follow; keep your hips facing forward.
3. Return through centre and rotate left.
4. Repeat 10 times each side, building range as you warm.

#05 Ankle & Calf Prep

1. Hold a fence or wall for balance.
2. Do 15 slow calf raises, rising onto the balls of both feet and lowering under control.
3. Then circle each ankle 10 times in each direction.
4. Finish with 10 gentle bounces on the spot to wake the Achilles.

#06 Padel-Elbow Strengthener

1. Rest your forearm on your thigh, wrist over the knee, palm facing down, holding a light weight (a 0.5–1 kg dumbbell or a filled water bottle).
2. Use your other hand to lift the weight up, then let go and lower it slowly over 3–4 seconds using only the working wrist.
3. Lift with help again, lower slowly again. That slow lowering is the point.
4. Do 10–15 slow lowers, 2–3 sets, a few times a week.

• Check your grip size and string tension — too small a grip and too stiff a set-up both feed the elbow.
• Don’t play through elbow pain. Early padel elbow settles fast; ignored, it can nag for months.
• Build up gradually. Most injuries come from a sudden jump in how often you play, not from one bad shot.
• Cool down with the same arm swings and a gentle forearm and calf stretch.

This guide is for general guidance only and does not replace professional medical advice. If a joint is swollen, giving way, or a pain is sharp and persistent, stop and get it assessed.

Already sore from padel? Book an appointment and we’ll get you back on court.

Related reading: 5 Most Common Padel Injuries (And How to Prevent Them)