Safety & wellbeing⏱ 2 min read
Warming Up and Staying Injury-Aware
A good warm-up, sensible progression and listening to your body lower the odds of getting hurt.
No routine can guarantee you will never get injured, but a few habits make injuries less likely and help you play better.
Warm up every time
Spend 8–10 minutes raising your temperature and moving joints through the ranges you will use: easy jogging or skipping, leg swings, lunges with rotation, arm circles, then split steps and short footwork bursts. Finish with gentle hitting before playing points.
Build up gradually
- Increase training a little at a time, rather than doubling it in a week.
- After a break (holiday, illness, injury), start lighter and rebuild.
- Keep at least one full rest day each week.
Strength protects
Calf, ankle, hip and shoulder strength help your body cope with lunges, jumps and smashes. A short strength routine twice a week is one of the best investments you can make.
Listen to your body
- Normal training soreness eases within a day or two and improves as you move.
- Sharp pain, pain that changes how you move, swelling, or pain that keeps getting worse is a signal to stop and get it checked.
Key takeaways
- Warm up for 8–10 minutes, finishing at match speed.
- Increase training gradually and keep a rest day.
- Sharp or worsening pain means stop and get it checked.
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