Padel Warm-Up Routine: 10 Minutes That Prevent Injuries & Improve Your Game

By Gary, founder of RacketRise. The warm-up is the most skipped and most valuable part of the padel session.

Last Updated: May 2026

Quick Summary

• 8–12 minutes is the minimum effective padel warm-up
• Dynamic stretches only before play — static stretching reduces power
• Start from the service line and gradually move back when rallying
• Shoulder and hip warm-up is essential — these joints take most padel load
• Add time in cold weather — muscles need longer to warm up below 10°C

Quick Answer: A padel warm-up should take 8–12 minutes: start with light movement (jogging, shuffles, arm swings), move through dynamic stretches targeting hips, shoulders, and wrists, then progress on-court from slow service-line rallies to full-pace groundstrokes. Dynamic only before play — save static stretching for after the match.

Why the Padel Warm-Up Matters More Than Tennis

Padel makes specific demands on joints that other sports don't:

• Shoulder: Overhead shots (bandeja, smash) load the rotator cuff from cold
• Elbow: Solid racket face transmits more vibration than string beds — forearm muscles need warming
• Wrist: Angled, slice shots put lateral stress on wrist tendons
• Calf/ankle: Rapid direction changes on artificial turf, including stopping from sprint speed
• Hip flexors: Low defensive positions and the back-wall crouch require hip mobility

Skipping the warm-up means these joints absorb match-intensity forces without preparation. This is why padel shoulder and elbow injuries are almost entirely associated with players who jump straight into hard hitting.

The 10-Minute Padel Warm-Up Routine

Phase 1: General Movement (3 minutes)

Get the heart rate up and blood flowing to major muscle groups before any stretching or hitting.

Minutes 0–1: Movement

• Jog the perimeter of the court × 2
• Add arm swings forward and backward (10 each direction)
• Add shoulder circles (10 forward, 10 backward)

Minutes 1–2: Dynamic Side Movement

• Side shuffles along the baseline (court width) × 3
• Crossover steps (grapevine) along the baseline × 2
• Forward-backward sprints between service line and baseline × 3

Minutes 2–3: Upper Body Activation

• Large arm circles × 10 each direction
• Trunk rotations — hands on hips, rotate torso slowly × 10 each side
• Wrist circles × 10 each direction

Phase 2: Dynamic Stretches (3 minutes)

Leg Swings (forward) Stand on one leg, swing the other leg forward and back. 10 per leg. Targets: hip flexors and hamstrings.

Leg Swings (lateral) Swing each leg across the body and out. 10 per leg. Targets: hip adductors and abductors — essential for padel lateral movement.

Hip Circles Hands on hips, large circles from the hip. 10 each direction. Targets: hip rotators.

Shoulder Rotations Extend one arm forward at shoulder height. Make small circles, gradually increasing radius. 10 each direction per arm. Targets: rotator cuff.

Thoracic Rotations Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, cross arms over chest. Rotate upper body (not hips) to each side. 10 each side. Targets: the rotational range needed for groundstrokes.

Lateral Lunges Wide step to one side, lower hips, hold 1 second, return. 8 per side. Targets: inner thighs and glutes — stabilisers for direction changes.

High Knees (moving) Walk forward with exaggerated high knee lifts. 10m there and back. Targets: hip flexors and core.

Phase 3: On-Court Progressive Rallying (4 minutes)

This is where the warm-up becomes sport-specific. Start from the service line and gradually move back as your body temperature rises.

Minutes 6–7: Service Line to Service Line Both players stand at their service line and rally slowly. Focus:

• Contact point in front of the body
• Watch the ball all the way to the racket
• No power — pace is about 40% of normal

Minutes 7–8: Mid-Court to Mid-Court Move back to mid-court. Slightly more pace. Start adding some gentle volleys.

Minutes 8–9: Baseline Play Both players at baseline. Normal rally speed now. Add:

• Cross-court patterns
• Occasional lobs
• Volleys when approaching

Minutes 9–10: Overhead Shots and Serves

• 5–6 practice serves each player
• 3–4 practice bandejas/overheads (start gentle, build to 80% pace)
• Brief net exchange to finish

Cold Weather Padel Warm-Up (UK Autumn/Winter)

In cold conditions (below 10°C), muscles need more time to reach optimal temperature. Add 3–5 minutes to the routine:

• Double the general movement phase: more jogging, more shuffles before any stretching
• Wear extra layers during warm-up, remove once temperature is up
• Start rallying even more slowly — the ball bounces lower in cold temperatures (reduced internal pressure), so it takes longer to get a feel for the pace

Never skip the warm-up in cold weather even for an indoor court — the walk from a cold car to an indoor padel centre is not sufficient preparation.

The Warm-Up for Different Ability Levels

What Not to Do Before Padel

Static stretching (holding for 30+ seconds): Research consistently shows static stretching before sport reduces power output and reaction speed by up to 8%. Save it for after the match.

Straight to match play from cold: Even a 5-minute brief jog beats nothing. The most common time for padel injuries is the first 10 minutes of play after no warm-up.

Serving hard immediately: The rotator cuff is the most injury-prone joint in padel overhead shots. It needs progressive loading — 3–4 gentle overheads before hitting hard.

Ignoring the wrist: Padel players (especially those new from tennis with racket-head volleys) put significant lateral load on the wrist. Wrist circles and gentle wrist flexion/extension before play reduce tendinitis risk.

Cool-Down After Padel

The warm-up's less glamorous partner. After your match:

1. Light movement: Walk the court perimeter × 2 (don't just stop suddenly)

2. Static stretches (hold 30–45 seconds each):

   • Standing quad stretch
   • Hamstring stretch (seated or standing)
   • Calf stretch against the wall
   • Shoulder cross-body stretch
   • Wrist flexor stretch (arm extended, palm up, gently pull fingers back)
   • Chest opener (hands clasped behind back, open chest)

3. Rehydrate: Replace fluids lost during play — 500ml minimum after a 60-minute session

Related Articles

• Padel Stretches Guide
• Is Padel Hard on Knees?
• Padel for Over 50s UK
• Is Padel a Good Workout?

Frequently Asked Questions