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CJ Johnson
Tony Roig
Stretch After Pickleball? Why?
Do you stretch when you are finished playing? If you take a quick look around the courts surprisingly few people take just a few minutes to cool down and stretch.
My guess is most people don’t understand the benefits of stretching, how to do it properly and quickly. Let’s start with, Why stretch after pickleball?
The Benefits of Stretching
According to the Mayo Clinic
The Benefits to stretching are better flexibility may improve your performance in physical activities or decrease your risk of injuries by helping your joints move through their full range of motion and enabling your muscles to work most effectively. Stretching also increases blood flow to the muscle. Mar 4, 2014
Results from studies are mixed some say it’s important and some say it isn’t. I like to let my body be the judge. For me simply put, if I am not stretching I have more muscle soreness. It also takes me more time to recover between workouts.
At the end of my workout, I make sure that my heart rate is returning to a normal range. Then I give a mental check to my body are there any areas that feel particularly tight. After playing pickleball I am normally a little tight in the arms, shoulders, and hamstrings, so those are the areas I target.
How To Stretch Properly
Dynamic stretching (moving) is more commonly used to prepare the body for movement whereas static stretching (holding) is usually used at the end of a workout. It can improve muscle flexibility and joint mobility, two things that tend to decrease as we age.
A couple of key points about stretching
The best time to stretch is while the muscles are warm.
Hold the stretch for 30-60 seconds. No bouncing.
Don’t stretch to the point of pain
Stretch both sides of the body equally
Make the stretches specific to your sport
Now that you understand why to stretch after pickleball and a few pointers on how to do it check out the video for a few moves that stretch those pickleball muscles and can be done fast enough to get to the party after play!
How long is this going to take?
You could do this in about 5 minutes. Why not give it a try for a month? If you don’t feel better because of it then maybe your body doesn’t need it.
We’d love to know what was your favorite Pickleball Summit takeaway? Please put it in the comments below.
CJ Johnson
Hey there — I’m a professional three-sport athlete and coach who has spent my entire adult life earning a living from playing and coaching sports. Since I started coaching more than three decades ago, one thing has remained the same: My commitment to see students not as they are but as what they can become and to move heaven and earth to help them realize their untapped potential. You should know that when it comes to helping pickleball players over 50 live their best lives on and off the courts, I'm an expert. Good pickleball is not just technique; it's the mind and body working holistically. That's why I'm also a personal trainer and weight management specialist. When I’m chillin', you'll find me watching Star Trek with my husband John and our two fur babies, Shirley and Ralph. (Yes, Happy Days)
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