The Best Exercises to Prepare Your Body for Pickleball in Daniel Island & Mount Pleasant (Part 2)
- Made 2 Move Team
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
About the Author: Hannah Breal, PT, DPT is the co-owner of Made 2 Move Physical Therapy in Charleston and Charlotte. She helps athletes and active adults rebuild strength, mobility, and confidence so they can move pain-free for life.
In last week’s email, we talked about how pickleball is “killing people.”
Yup, you heard me.
Pickleball injuries cost us over 117 billion dollars a year and are the number one cause of death!
We should all sit on our couch, never move again, and avoid fun at all costs.
OH WAIT.
That’s not pickleball.
That’s physical inactivity and chronic disease.
Classic mix up.
Lately, there have been articles floating around saying pickleball is dangerous or causing an “injury epidemic,” and I have some very strong feelings about this... especially when the real epidemic is the rising rates of chronic disease and the health costs that come with being sedentary.
And I will say again what I said last week: I would much rather someone have a slightly increased risk of injury from starting a new sport than have a dramatically increased risk of chronic disease from not moving at all.
If you missed last week’s blog, read Part 1 here!
Today’s focus: the best exercises to prepare your body for pickleball so you can stay healthy, strong, and on the court — especially if you live in Daniel Island or Mount Pleasant where pickleball is exploding in popularity.
The Truth: Pickleball Isn’t Hurting People — Being Unprepared Is
As a physical therapist, here is what I need you to understand:
The best way to prevent pickleball injuries is by
not doing too much too soon, and
preparing your body for the specific demands of pickleball.
Pickleball requires:
deceleration
change of direction
lateral movement
impact absorption
upper body strength
grip strength
rotational power
When someone goes from doing very little physical activity… to suddenly playing pickleball four or five times a week, injuries happen not because pickleball is bad, but because the body simply isn’t ready yet.
This is not a pickleball problem.This is a physical preparedness problem.
For example, if I tried to run a marathon right now, I’d get injured. That doesn’t mean running is unsafe. It means I am not prepared for that stress yet.
Same concept.
The good news?
Your body can adapt to anything with the right training.
If You're Sore After Pickleball… It’s Normal
If you feel sore after starting pickleball, that doesn’t mean you’re “doing it wrong” or “too old” or “not cut out for it.”
It means you’re asking your body to do something new.
Soreness is normal.
If you got injured after a few sessions?
That probably means you exceeded your current capacity — and now we simply need to build that capacity up.
The Best Exercises to Prepare for Pickleball
Below are exercises I regularly give to pickleball players in Daniel Island and Mount Pleasant — both for performance AND injury prevention.
You do not need to do all of them.
Choose 1–3, start slow, and build from there.
Upper Body Exercises for Pickleball
These target the shoulders, elbows, wrists, and forearms — the most common upper body injury sites:
Suitcase Carries (great for shoulder stability, grip, core, and hip strength)
Wall Angels (progress to banded for more challenge)
These help with paddle control, grip strength, overhead reach, and quick directional changes.
Lower Body Exercises for Pickleball
Most lower body issues involve knees, ankles, hips, and low back. Train these to improve strength, landing mechanics, and agility:
Broad Jumps (train jumping and controlled landing)
Rotational Deadlifts (kickstand or single leg)
Banded Rotations (can be hip-dominant or upper-back-dominant depending on setup)
So… How Often Should You Do These?
Should you start doing all of these exercises three times a week?
No. Please. Don't.
Choose 1–3 exercises, do them once a week, and progress slowly.
You may need to modify based on your flexibility, injury history, or current strength — that’s normal.
The goal is two-fold:
Increase your body’s capacity for the stress you’re placing on it
Ensure the stress of pickleball doesn’t exceed your capacity
Injuries happen when demand > capacity.
So if pickleball keeps flaring things up, you may simply be doing more than your body is prepared for right now.
The fix isn’t to stop playing.
The fix is to build capacity.
Movement is medicine.
Let’s fight physical inactivity — not pickleball.
Ready to Play Pickleball Without Pain?
At Made 2 Move Physical Therapy, we help active adults, pickleball players, and recreational athletes in Daniel Island and Mount Pleasant stay strong, healthy, and injury-free so they can keep playing for years.
We have three convenient locations:
Our team of DPTs can help you move, play, and live without limitations.
Want to learn how to move better, stay pain-free, and actually understand your body?
Join our free Thrive Thursday newsletter — weekly insights from real physical therapists to help you train smarter, recover faster, and feel your best for life.
Written by Hannah Breal, PT, DPT, Co-Owner of Made 2 Move Physical Therapy, helping Charleston and Charlotte move pain-free for life.
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