The recommendations provided in this article are for educational purposes only and are not to be interpreted as medical advice or a recommendation for a specific treatment plan, product, or course of action. Please consult your provider for personalized medical advice.‍

Pickleball has gained fame as America’s fastest growing sport. It’s also received some recent sour press nationwide for its soaring injury rates and related healthcare costs totaling nearly $400 million annually.

While these costs seem high, putting them in perspective, they are about 400 times less expensive than what the country spends on obesity-related conditions and about 1,000 times less expensive than what we spend on cardiovascular disease (two conditions we know are related to inactivity).

At Vori Health, our sports medicine doctors and physical therapists believe that regular exercise—be it from pickleball or any other activity that piques your interest—is foundational to good health. Read on for a few of our top tips we give our patients to help them stay active on the courts while preventing common pickleball injuries.

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Stay active

“The many pickleball injuries we’re seeing right now are not because the sport is inherently dangerous,” explains Mary O’Connor, MD, Chief Medical Officer at Vori Health and a former Olympic rower. “It’s just really popular, and that is wonderful because being active is essential to physical and emotional health,” Dr. O’Connor says. “People who would have otherwise been twisting their ankles with a different activity are now racking up strains and sprains playing pickleball. If you love the sport, you can still reap its benefits—especially if you stay smart, warm up properly, and strengthen key muscles which help reduce your risk of injury.”

Respect the game

Just because pickleball is a close cousin to badminton and ping pong doesn’t mean it isn’t serious. “I’ve seen a lot of people with pretty bad pickleball injuries—at all ages,” says Jim Fiechtl, MD, a sports medicine physician at Vori Health. “This isn’t a game that you just want to casually throw yourself into—especially if you’re new to it, and most importantly if you haven’t been active in a while.” Even if you have been active recently, you still want to make sure you loosen your muscles and joints before starting.

Get ahead of the game

If you want to play the sport, we recommend taking your cross-training seriously. Try these 6 cross-training exercises to help prevent common pickleball injuries.

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Heel raises

Like tennis, pickle ball is a side-to-side sport with a lot of sudden stops. We often neglect our lower legs when building strength, but when it’s you versus an ankle sprain, strength in this area gives you the extra advantage you want on the court.

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Hamstring stretch

Tight hamstrings bring pickleballers down quickly and often. A regular stretching routine reduces your risk of pulling this muscle group, plus it adds that extra pliability and speed to your step.

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Side-lying leg lift

Sidelined by knee pain? Focus on your hips. Strong hip muscles—another muscle group that we often neglect—reduce the load on the knee and can help prevent injury and pain.

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Wrist extensor and flexor stretches

As a paddle sport, pickleball requires a lot of forearm strength and flexibility. Keeping these muscles healthy and pliable will keep your grip strong and your risk of elbow and wrist injuries low.

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Bird Dog and Plank

You might think it’s your fast feet or smooth serve winning points, but your core is the real king on the court. “Balance, stability, rotational power—it all starts with your core,” says Jared Aguilar, PT, DPT, a physical therapist at Vori Health who is also a power lifter. “If you want to win and stay injury free, don’t neglect your mid-section.”

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Single leg balance

Falls happen. Build your balance off the court with exercises like these that cultivate strength in key muscle groups, improve awareness of your center of gravity, and lower your fall risk.

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Does age divide us?

Because pickleball is popular with the 65 and over crowd, which also happens to carry the highest injury rates, some people are wondering if the sport is appropriate for every age. “All exercise is good—but there is no movement that is completely safe,” says Dr. Fiechtl. “If you want to play pickleball, you shouldn’t let your age get in the way. As long you are medically cleared for activity, stay responsible, and cross-train, I’d say the benefits of the game outweigh the risks.”

“If I could only do one thing to improve healthcare it would be to magically improve everyone's level of physical activity,” says Dr. O’Connor. “Movement and an active lifestyle is paramount to good health at any age.”

If you’re dealing with a pickleball injury, Vori Health can help you get back in the game. Schedule a visit to talk to a Vori Health doctor today.

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