Jeannette Pyle, Director of Fitness and Wellness
Gary Pelphrey
First, the good news: The SaddleBrooke Pickleball Association (SPA) now has close to 800 members who regularly enjoy a low-impact, excellent cardiovascular workout. On the other hand, older players may experience injuries. The most common injuries include sprains, joint pain, and falling. Wrist, shoulder, knee, and ankle injuries can also occur.
So, the question becomes, “How do I enjoy this sport that I love without putting myself at risk of injury?”
Recently, I spoke with Jeannette Pyle, Director of Fitness and Wellness, about the role of conditioning in minimizing pickleball injuries.
Q. How important is it to stretch before playing? Extremely, especially a dynamic stretch. That is the lengthening and shortening of a muscle to warm it up and get it ready for play. I recommend 10 minutes as a minimum.
Q. How effective is good conditioning? When you train to move laterally—sideways—and train to move forward and backward, you will have better reaction time and your body will know what to do from muscle memory. That is also why all professional players condition heavily.
Q. What typically causes “pickleball elbow”? It is often from overuse. As a pickleball player, I got pickleball elbow. I switched to a kinetic paddle that is designed to help by reducing the vibration on impact. Good conditioning can also help. If you are a side sleeper or someone who sleeps with their arms over their head, you can exacerbate tendinitis of the elbow. Having good form when you play and using a pressure point strap is helpful.
Q. Are there specific exercises that can improve balance and reduce the risk of falling? Yes, there are various specific exercises that can help with balance.
Q. I understand you have developed a conditioning routine designed specifically to help pickleball players minimize their risk of injury. Tell me more about that. Yes, this will be a fun, one-hour small group training class with 8 to 10 people of all levels. We will use resistance bands and light weights. We will work on lateral and forward/backward movement, agility, reaction time, and general conditioning and strengthening for the legs to help with muscle memory that is needed for quick movement in pickleball. To maximize the benefits of conditioning, I recommend some form of resistance band, light weight training twice a week as a minimum.
Q. When will the class be offered and how do I sign up in advance? SGT Conditioning for Pickleball will be offered at the DesertView Fitness Center on Mondays at 10:30 a.m. beginning in May. Classes are $10, and you can sign up on the SaddleBrooke TWO website or via the app. You can also call the Fitness Center to sign up in advance. Sign-ups begin at 4 p.m. on Thursdays for the following week.
Thinking about playing pickleball for the first time? The SaddleBrooke Pickleball Association makes it easy to get started and even offers introductory lessons for non-members. After your initial lesson, if you choose to join SPA, the club will help you connect with other members and begin making pickleball friends. A mentoring program is also available to all new members. Free lessons to advance your skill level are available when you join. Simply go to sbpickleball.club/intro for all the details.
“As a pickleball player, I know how much fun the game is! As a personal trainer and wellness professional, I am also aware of the preparation everyone should do to be able to play to the best of their ability and to reduce the chance of injury.” —Jeannette Pyle, Director of Fitness and Wellness, DesertView Fitness Center.