5 Exercises to Prevent Padel Injuries: Padel is an accessible and addictive sport, but also physically demanding. Sudden changes of pace, quick turns, and repetitive movements can lead to muscle overload or even more serious injuries if the body is not properly trained. In this article, we’ll go over the most common padel injuries and share a complete routine to prevent them, suitable for both amateur and intermediate players.
What are the most common padel injuries?
While padel is less aggressive than other racket sports, it still puts stress on joints and muscles. The most frequent injuries are:
Tennis elbow (epicondylitis): inflammation of the forearm tendons caused by repetitive arm movements when hitting the ball. It mostly affects players with poor technique or who grip the racket too tightly.
Shoulder tendinitis: repeated smashes, viboras or bandejas can overload the rotator cuff, causing pain and limited mobility.
Lower back pain: Padel involves trunk rotations, short movements, and leaning, which can cause issues without strong core and lumbar muscles.
Knee and ankle injuries: the synthetic court surface and explosive movements can lead to sprains or tendinopathies if strength and balance aren’t trained beforehand.
How to avoid injuries when playing padel?
Below is a full-body routine. You can do it 2–3 times per week for about 20–30 minutes.
General warm-up (5–7 min)
- Light jog or on-the-spot skipping (2–3 min)
- Joint mobility: shoulder, wrist, hip, ankle and neck circles
- Trunk rotations and gentle back extensions
Upper body
Strengthening shoulders and arms
- External rotations with resistance band (3×15)
- Front/lateral raises with light weights (3×12)
- Rowing with band or dumbbell (3×12)
Preventing epicondylitis
- Wrist curls with light weights (2–3×15)
- Pronation/supination with stick
Core and lower back
- Plank (3×30–45 sec)
- Superman (alternate limb lifts on the floor)
- Bird Dog (3×10 per side)
Legs and proprioception
Strength
- Squats (3×15)
- Alternating lunges (3×10 per leg)
- Glute bridges (3×20)
Stability and injury prevention
- One-leg balance with eyes closed (3×30 sec)
- Exercises on BOSU or balance cushion
- Controlled jumps and direction changes
Cool down and stretching
Child’s pose or cat-cow for lower back
Stretch quads, hamstrings, calves
Stretch forearms (flexors and extensors)
Gentle neck and back stretches
Conclusion
At Stock Padel, we always say: the best racket or shoes won’t help if your body isn’t ready. Preventive exercises are the best “invisible investment” a player can make. Just a few minutes a day can help you enjoy padel pain-free and improve your game. Play more, play better, play healthy!
