Mobility Exercises for Padel: Shoulder and Knee Routine

Use dynamic mobility before padel and gentle static stretching after. Before play, spend 8 to 10 minutes on shoulder CARs, wall slides, band pull-aparts, slow squats, lateral lunges and walking knee hugs. During play, reduce intensity or stop if joint pain appears. After play, walk for two minutes, stretch the areas that feel loaded, and build basic shoulder and leg strength away from the court.

Padel is friendly to beginners, but it is not passive on the body. The sport asks for repeated overhead shots, fast side steps, split steps, short lunges and sudden stops close to the glass. That combination often shows up first as shoulder tightness after bandejas or knee stiffness the morning after a match.

This guide gives recreational players a simple system for managing that load. It is not a medical diagnosis and it does not replace a clinician. Use it as a practical warm-up, cool-down and equipment check for normal training days. If pain is sharp, swollen, worsening, or changes how you move, stop playing and get qualified advice.

Why padel loads the shoulders and knees

A 2025 survey of recreational Belgian padel players reported that 36.5% had sustained an injury over the previous 12 months, with lower-limb injuries the most common category. The same paper notes that knee and shoulder injuries are among the frequently reported sites after the elbow. Source: ScienceDirect.

A 2023 systematic review found 3 injuries per 1,000 hours of padel training and 8 injuries per 1,000 matches, based on limited available literature. It also reported that the elbow was the most common injury site, followed by the knee, shoulder and lower back. Source: BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine.

The practical reason is simple: padel repeats the same joint demands. Overheads load the shoulder through rotation and deceleration. Defensive side steps and late lunges load the knee when the body is moving sideways rather than straight ahead. Good mobility work does not make those demands disappear. It helps you enter the session with better range, control and awareness.

The 8-10 minute pre-match routine

Do this before serious rallies, not after the first set. The goal is controlled range and readiness, not fatigue.

Time	Exercise	Reps	Main cue
1 min	Easy walk, bounce steps or light court movement	continuous	Raise temperature without rushing
2 min	Shoulder CARs	3 each way per arm	Move slowly; keep ribs and trunk quiet
1 min	Wall slides	8-10	Slide only as high as you can control
1 min	Band pull-aparts	12-15	Squeeze shoulder blades; do not shrug
2 min	Slow bodyweight squats	8-10	Knees track over toes; no collapse inward
2 min	Lateral lunges	6 each side	Push from the hip; keep the foot planted
1 min	Walking knee hugs	6 each leg	Tall posture; smooth step into the next rep

If you only have three minutes, keep shoulder CARs, slow squats and lateral lunges. That is the minimum version.

Shoulder mobility: prepare for overheads

Start with controlled articular rotations, usually called CARs. Stand tall, make a fist and draw the biggest slow circle you can with one arm. Keep the torso still. If the range gets smaller behind the body, do not force it. The point is to find controlled motion, not to win a flexibility contest.

Wall slides come next. Stand against a wall or fence with elbows bent like a goalpost. Slide the arms up and down while keeping the ribs down. If your lower back arches, reduce the range. This helps you feel the shoulder blade move before you start hitting bandejas, viboras and smashes.

Band pull-aparts finish the shoulder block. Use a light band at chest height, pull it apart, pause for a second, then return slowly. If you do not have a band, mimic the same movement with slow tension. Keep it easy; heavy resistance before a match is not the goal.

Knee and hip mobility: prepare for side steps

The lower-body block should look like padel movement. Slow squats prepare the knees for bending and loading. Lateral lunges prepare the side-to-side pattern that happens when you defend the corner or move around the glass. Walking knee hugs add hip movement so the knee is not asked to solve everything by itself.

Good reps are quiet and controlled. If your knee dives inward during squats or lunges, reduce the depth and slow down. If the floor is slippery, keep the steps smaller. Padel movement is reactive, but the warm-up should be deliberate.

During play: use pain as information

Muscle effort is normal. A clear joint signal is different. Shoulder pinching when you reach overhead, knee pain that changes your footwork, swelling, sharp pain or repeated clicking with discomfort are stop signs, not toughness tests.

If the shoulder feels irritated, reduce full smashes and choose safer patterns for the rest of the session: bandeja, vibora at controlled speed, lob reset, or volley placement. If the knee feels heavy or achy, shorten the last step into wide balls and accept a few missed balls instead of lunging from a bad position.

Between games, one minute of reset can help: 3 slow shoulder circles each way, 5 slow squats, then easy walking. If symptoms persist, end the session. The best recovery decision is often made before the body is angry.

After play: cool down without making it complicated

Walk for two minutes before you sit down. Then use gentle static stretches for the areas that took the most load. Hold each stretch for about 20 to 30 seconds, breathe normally and avoid pain.

Use a cross-body shoulder stretch and a chest stretch against the fence or doorframe if overheads loaded the front of the shoulder. Use a quad stretch, calf stretch and hip-flexor stretch if the match included lots of lateral defense. Static stretching is not magic recovery, and recent consensus work is cautious about broad claims, but it can still be a useful post-session range-of-motion habit when used gently. Source: Journal of Sport and Health Science.

Strength work for non-playing days

Mobility prepares the session. Strength changes the baseline. Twice a week, away from match intensity, use simple support work.

For knees, start with wall sits and split squats. A practical version is 3 wall-sit holds of 20 to 40 seconds and 2-3 sets of 6-8 split squats per leg. Keep the front knee tracking over the toes and stop before form breaks.

For shoulders, use light band external rotations and prone Y-raises. Keep them clean and controlled: 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps. The target is rotator cuff and scapular control, not fatigue for its own sake.

Do not add all of this on the same day as a hard match if you are new to strength work. Start small and let the routine become repeatable.

Equipment check: racket and shoes

Equipment does not replace warm-up, but it changes the load. A heavy or head-heavy racket can feel fine for ten minutes and then make overheads slower and more shoulder-heavy. If your shoulder consistently tightens late in sessions, compare your racket weight, balance and stiffness with a more forgiving option.

Shoes matter even more for the knees. Running shoes are built for forward movement, not repeated lateral braking. Padel, tennis or multi-court shoes with stable side support are usually a better match for the movement. If your foot slides inside the shoe, your knee and hip have to compensate.

Common mistakes

Do not turn the warm-up into a workout. You should finish feeling ready, not tired.

Do not use static stretching as the whole pre-match routine. A 2024 review found small acute strength losses from static stretching in isolated strength contexts, especially with longer stretch durations, while also noting that the evidence does not support a blanket ban inside all warm-ups. Source: Journal of Sport and Health Science. For padel, the safer editorial recommendation is simple: dynamic mobility first, longer static holds later.

Do not ignore the first clear pain signal. One lighter session is cheaper than several weeks away from the court.

Do not blame only the painful joint. Knee discomfort can be linked to hip control or footwear. Shoulder discomfort can be linked to thoracic position, racket choice or repeated late contact.

Practical progression

For the next three sessions, do only the pre-match routine. Once that feels automatic, add the post-match walk and two stretches. After two weeks, add strength work on one non-playing day. Then move to two days if recovery is good.

The best routine is the one you repeat. If the full version is too long, use the minimum version every time: shoulder CARs, slow squats and lateral lunges.

Common questions

What is the best warm-up for padel shoulder and knee comfort?

Use a short dynamic routine: shoulder CARs, wall slides, band pull-aparts, slow squats, lateral lunges and walking knee hugs. It should take about 8 to 10 minutes and should feel controlled, not exhausting.

Should I stretch before padel?

Use dynamic mobility before play. Save long static holds for after the match or for a separate flexibility session, because prolonged static stretching before explosive work can reduce maximal strength in some contexts.

What should I do if my shoulder or knee hurts during a match?

Do not try to win the pain argument. Reduce intensity, shorten your reach, avoid repeated overheads if the shoulder is irritated, and stop if pain is sharp, swelling appears or your movement changes.

Can my racket or shoes make joint stress worse?

Yes. A racket that feels too heavy or head-heavy can add shoulder workload, and running shoes or unstable court shoes can make lateral stops harder on the knees. Treat equipment as one part of the load-management system.