[caption id="attachment_10183" align="alignnone" width="798"] Padel warm-up, how to do it right?[/caption] The return to the padel courts is now a reality, with training and individual matches now permitted. However, it's important to remember that after two months of inactivity, muscles may not be ready for intense physical activity. That's why it's crucial to warm up for padel with good warm-up exercises to reduce the risk of injuries.

Warm-up, important for all padel players

Since May 11, playing padel on public courts has been allowed. The only condition is that only 1-on-1 matches can be played; doubles games will have to wait. The return to padel has driven all players crazy, and they are desperate to get back on the court. Thousands of people joined the trend of exercising at home. Without a doubt, it was a smart move, especially for those who play padel at an advanced level. With home training, it was very difficult to lose fitness and physical condition. However, it is important that the return to the padel courts is done with due care, meaning gradually increasing the intensity of the activity. Likewise, it is advisable to warm up before any physical activity. It is always important to do so, but even more so now that physical activity during isolation was very limited.

Importance of warming up before physical activity

All of this can lead us to the question: why do I have to warm up? Here are the reasons:

• Warming up decreases the risk and likelihood of muscle injuries, cramps, and tears.
• It improves blood flow, which promotes cell regeneration and biological functions.
• It prepares the muscle for intense exertion.
• It increases muscle endurance and strength during training.
• It prevents muscle fatigue and pain that could be caused by intense physical activity.
• It improves the flexibility and stretching capacity of joints and muscles.
• It protects the heart and prepares it to work at faster rates.

Specific padel warm-up

If you play padel, you're probably wondering if there's a specific warm-up for this sport. The reality is that there isn't a specific "padel warm-up" per se; however, there are warm-up and stretching exercises that focus on the muscle groups most worked in this sport. Warming up will drastically reduce the likelihood of injury on the court. It is important that the warm-up time is at least 20 minutes. Before starting with the specific padel warm-up, it is important to perform a general one that includes jogging and movements of all muscle groups in the body. The padel warm-up begins with jogging and lateral and frontal displacements, interspersed with knee bends to squat down and touch the ground. Subsequently, jumps with arm movements can be added, making motions similar to hitting the ball. It is also very important to add dynamic stretches to the warm-up session. The arms, shoulders, legs, glutes, calves, and ankles, as well as the wrists and back, should be stretched well. The last phase of the warm-up is the rally. It is best to rally with a coach or another player on the other side of the court. And if you are alone on the court, you can rally with the help of the wall.

Padel warm-up, before or after the activity?

One of the most common questions among padel players and athletes in general is whether the warm-up should be done before or after physical activity. As its name suggests, the goal of warming up is to "warm up" the muscles, that is, to prepare them for activity. That is why the warm-up should always be done before physical activity. The warm-up should always be dynamic, gradually increasing intensity and heart rate. So, what should be done at the end of physical activity? At the end of a match or training session, what should be done is stretching. Stretching after physical activity helps prevent injuries, cramps, and speeds up muscle recovery. Likewise, stretching prevents muscle stress.