Prevent Pickleball Injuries And Be Prepared To Have Fun
Sports have always been used as a way to relief stress or to engage in a competitive manner with your friends, but what happens if you misunderstand your body and you push yourself over your own limits?
Pickleball, a sport which combines tennis, badminton and table tennis into one, rises in popularity for the past decades, it is present in all age groups and just as any sport, it can cause injuries, anything ranging from tendonitis to ’’tennis elbow’’, which could delay all that fun you had for even weeks. But what exactly can prevent these injuries?
Warming up
Well first off, the main thing that you should worry about is warming up, it may seem like a dull task that serves no purpose, but it is, in fact, one of the most fool-proof ways to prevent yourself from getting hurt. Warming up for even 5 minutes could serve as a sort of prevention, but spending a few more minutes won’t hurt anyone.
Just picture yourself as the driver of a car, you’re on a race track with your friend and you want to see who is faster, you turn on your engine and you immediately hit the gas pedal at full force, but oh wait, that’s not what you’re supposed to do, you can’t just simply expect the car going one hundred kilometers per hour in just a matter of seconds right after you turned on the engine, and the same goes for your own body.
All in all, just stretch yourself and do some basic exercise, it will get your heart pumping faster, you’ll be able to intake more oxygen and more blood will flow in your muscles to prevent tearing.
Know your limits
As tolerant and enduring our bodies can be, we still have to control ourselves and listen to what our body needs, we can’t simply forget that.
You need to realize that depending on your age and physical shape, you have to draw a line somewhere, you need to know how much remaining stamina you have in order to determine if you are able to play pickleball for the next 30 minutes or for the next few hours.
Simply put, depending on how your day went and how much stress your body was put under, plan for how long and how intensely you will play and don’t forget, if you feel tired, either make a short pause or stop playing.
Have the proper gear
It is always important to wear the right gear and have the required protection on, and as such, having protective eye-wear can make the difference between having your day ruined as well as your sensitive eyes and laughing it off while your goggles block the incoming ball.
Another important thing to note is the type of shoes you’re wearing, having proper shoes such as court shoes, which are more flexible and don’t “stick” to the floor as much as running shoes, can help you prevent several injuries and torn muscles in the foot and ankle area and generally provides better stability while side-stepping or backpedaling.
Another important piece of equipment is the paddle itself, you need care about what material it is made out and how much it weights, the paddle should remain flexible and feel comfortable in your hands. It should also be exactly the right size so that you can properly grip it, bigger paddles will usually slip out of your hand far easier, and it is recommended to get smaller ones in general because you will use your wrists more often instead of using your entire hand, which could end up making you tired faster.
Conclusion
To round things up, the most important info you should remember is:
- Don’t push yourself, listen to your body and know your limits.
- Have the proper equipment for the sport, make sure the paddle is the right size and be sure to test it out.
- Warm up for 5 to 15 minutes, it is one of the main contributions to not getting injured.
And most importantly, have fun, be sure to enjoy playing pickleball and always be aware of possible injuries, a healthy mind in a healthy body.