Why Functional Fitness is Essential for Pickleball Players

Published: 2025-03-12

5/5 Average rating

Pickleball is fast-paced, dynamic, and demands quick reactions, agility, and endurance. Yet, many players overlook the importance of functional fitness—strength, mobility, and stability training—to support their body’s ability to handle the sport’s physical stresses. This is why injuries are so common: when your muscles, joints, and connective tissues can’t handle the workload, something gives out.

Injury prevention isn’t just about stretching before a game; it’s about strengthening your body to withstand the repeated stresses of movement, deceleration, and force absorption. Small weaknesses become major issues without a solid foundation of functional strength and mobility, leading to injury after injury as your body compensates.

Why Injuries Happen in Pickleball

Most injuries occur because your muscles, tendons, and joints can’t handle the sport’s demands. When you lack strength or mobility in one area, another part of your body compensates, leading to overuse and eventual breakdown. For example, weak glutes can put excess stress on the knees, and poor shoulder stability can lead to elbow pain.

If you’ve ever had one injury that led to another, it’s because your body naturally adjusts to pain or dysfunction by shifting stress elsewhere—often leading to overcompensation injuries. This cycle continues until you address the root cause through proper training.

What are four of the most common pickleball injuries, why they happen, and what you can do to prevent them?

1. Achilles Tendon Injury

Why It Happens:

Pickleball involves a lot of quick forward and backward movements, putting excessive strain on the Achilles tendon, especially if the calf muscles are tight or weak. Poor ankle mobility and lack of eccentric (lengthening) strength in the calves increase injury risk.

Video of 5 exercises to improve Ankle/ Achilles resilience

2. Knee Injury (Meniscus Tears, Patellar Tendonitis, Ligament Strains)

Why It Happens:

Knee injuries often result from poor hip and glute strength, causing instability when stopping, pivoting, or landing from a lunge. Weak quadriceps and limited ankle mobility also increase strain on the knee joint.

Video of 5 key exercises to prevent knee injuries

3. Elbow Injury (Tennis Elbow / Pickleball Elbow)

Why It Happens:

Repetitive swinging and gripping stress the forearm tendons, leading to inflammation and pain. Weak grip strength and poor shoulder stability force the forearm muscles to work harder than they should.

Video of 5 must-do exercises to prevent elbow pain.

4. Shoulder Injury (Rotator Cuff Strains, Impingement, Tendonitis)

Why It Happens:

Poor shoulder mobility and weak rotator cuff muscles make overhead shots and repeated swings stressful on the shoulder joint. Many players rely too much on their arm instead of using their core and lower body for power, leading to overuse injuries.

Video of 6 exercises to do for shoulder resilience

The Injury Chain Reaction: Compensation and Overuse

Injury is rarely an isolated event. When one part of the body becomes weak or compromised, the body instinctively compensates to maintain movement, balance, and power. While this allows athletes to continue playing, it often shifts excessive stress to other muscles and joints, leading to secondary injuries.

Consider a weak or sprained ankle—an athlete may unconsciously shift their weight to the other leg, altering biomechanics. This can place undue stress on the knee, increasing the risk of patellar tendinitis, iliotibial (IT) band syndrome, or even hip misalignment. Similarly, an athlete favoring an injured shoulder may overuse their elbow and wrist, setting the stage for conditions like tennis elbow or carpal tunnel syndrome.

This chain reaction of compensation and overuse occurs due to:

Altered movement patterns – The body instinctively finds the path of least resistance, but these unnatural motions increase strain on surrounding structures.
Muscle imbalances – Weak or injured muscles force others to take over, leading to tightness, fatigue, and eventual breakdown.
Overuse and repetitive strain – When certain joints and muscles take on an unnatural workload, microtrauma builds up, escalating to chronic pain or serious injuries.

The key to breaking this cycle? A well-rounded functional fitness routine.

The key to stopping the injury chain reaction isn’t just rest—it’s building a body that can handle the demands of pickleball without breaking down. A well-rounded functional fitness routine strengthens movement patterns, enhances stability, and reinforces the body’s ability to absorb and distribute force efficiently.

To truly bulletproof your body against injury, your training should focus on three core components:

Mobility: Move Better, Play Longer
- Mobility is the foundation of fluid, pain-free movement. Poor mobility limits range of motion, forcing joints and muscles to work harder than they should.
- Regular mobility work improves flexibility, enhances joint function, and ensures smooth, unrestricted movement during play.
- Consistent practice in this area can help reduce stiffness, improve recovery, and maintain long-term athletic performance.
Strength: Build a Resilient Body
- A strong, well-balanced body absorbs impact better and resists fatigue, reducing the risk of compensation injuries.
- Strength development should target all major muscle groups, focusing on full-body coordination rather than isolated movements.
- A balanced approach ensures no single area is overworked, improving endurance and reducing susceptibility to injury.
Stability: The Glue That Holds It All Together
- Stability allows for better movement control, which is crucial for quick changes in direction, powerful strokes, and safe landings after dynamic plays.
- Strengthening stabilizing muscles enhances body awareness and prevents excessive strain on joints.
- Improved stability improves posture, more efficient movement, and injury prevention.

The Bottom Line: Train Smarter, Play Longer

A body that moves well, absorbs stress efficiently, and stays strong under fatigue lasts. Integrating mobility, strength, and stability into your training routine doesn’t just improve your game—it extends your playing years and reduces the risk of chronic injuries.

Pickleball is a game of agility, reaction, and endurance. Your body must be as prepared as your strategy because availability is the best ability.

Pickleball is fun but challenging on the body if you’re not prepared. Instead of waiting for an injury to sideline you, take action now by training for the sport. Strength, mobility, and stability work aren’t just accessories—they’re essentials for longevity on the court.

Train smart, stay strong, and keep playing the game you love!