To play pickleball into your 60s, 70s, and beyond, you don’t need a bodybuilder’s routine—you need functional durability. The sport demands lateral (side-to-side) explosive power and deep lunging. If your hips are tight and your glutes are weak, your knees will take all the punishment. The secret to playing longer isn’t running more laps; it’s strengthening the “brakes” (your decelerator muscles) so you don’t blow a tire on the court.
As pickleball’s popularity has exploded, so have injuries, mainly caused by repetitive motion, awkward positions, and quick lunges.
Personally, I have found the sport much easier on my body than tennis. But that doesn’t mean it’s not without it’s aches and pains. In fact, I have another browser tab opened right now wondering if I tore my rotator cuff. But that’s a conversation for another time!
If you play the sport regularly, you will want to have a dedicated cross-training regimen off of the pickleball court that is designed to enhance overall fitness to meet the sport’s physical demands.