Tag Archive for: pickleball injuries

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Get Ready to Play: Meet Andrea Conti, Your Pickleball Warm-Up Expert!

Andrea Conti - Personal trainer and leading DUPRXpress warm up.

Pickleball is all about fun, fitness, staying healthy, and friendly competition, but did you know that a proper warm-up is critical to keeping you injury-free in the game? That’s where Andrea Conti comes in!

Andrea is a certified personal trainer who will ensure that all players at the upcoming DUPRXpress Round-Robin are primed and ready to play their best and get their DUPR rankings (by the way, if you don’t have your DUPR ranking yet, you should get one).

Even if you’re not playing in the Round-robin on Saturday, September 21, from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., we encourage everyone to show up at 8:30 a.m. to learn from the best how to warm up properly and avoid injury.

Before we get into some tips from Andrea, let’s get to know him a bit.

Meet Andrea Conti, Your Pickleball Warm-Up Expert

Andrea Conti - Personal trainer and leading DUPRXpress warm up.

Andrea Conti is a personal trainer and is leading the DUPRXpress warm-up.

Andrea Conti is no stranger to helping athletes get ready for action. As a seasoned personal trainer at Sandcastle 24hr Fitness Club, he’s all about keeping people fit, strong, and injury-free.

His philosophy? Movement is medicine, and warming up is the prescription!

Andrea Conti is the perfect person to get everyone game-ready for the DUPRXpress Round-Robin Tournament and tell you how to prevent pickleball injuries by warming up properly.

Here’s why:

  • Expert Credentials: Andrea holds a BA in Exercise Science and a Master’s in Kinesiology from the University of Florence. He’s also pursuing a Bachelor’s in Strength and Conditioning (S&C) at Setanta College.
  • Diverse Experience: With a lifelong background in sports like soccer, combat sports, and strength training, Andrea knows how to prepare your body for performance.
  • Specialized Certifications: He’s a Canfitpro PRO Trainer, a Functional Movement Assessment Specialist, and a Combat Sports Strength and Conditioning Coach, meaning he’s trained to prevent injuries and enhance performance.
  • Proven Methods: Andrea’s warm-up routines are designed to prepare your muscles, improve flexibility, and protect you from common pickleball injuries, such as pickleball elbow and ankle sprains.

With Andrea leading your warm-up, you’re in expert hands, ensuring you’re ready to play your best while staying injury-free!

Sandcastle 24 hr Fitness Club

Sandcastle 24HR Fitness Club

Why Warm-Ups Matter: Avoiding Common Pickleball Injuries

You might think pickleball is a low-impact sport, but don’t let its casual nature fool you. With quick movements, fast direction changes, and all that swinging, injuries can happen if you’re not prepared.

According to Andrea, warming up is especially crucial for players aged 40 and older.

He explains, “Warming up is essential because it helps increase blood flow, improves joint mobility, and primes muscles for action. For players aged 40 and older, this becomes even more critical as the body becomes less flexible, and muscles and tendons are more prone to injury.”

Some common injuries include:

  • Pickleball Elbow: Similar to tennis elbow, it comes from repetitive swinging motions.
  • Wrist and Shoulder Strains: Those quick reactions can take a toll on your upper body.
  • Ankle Sprains and Knee Injuries: Sudden stops and starts can lead to tricky landings.
  • Lower Back Pain: Overstretching or awkward movements can cause strains.

But guess what? You can avoid these injuries with a proper warm-up to help you loosen up, boost your range of motion, and prep those muscles for action. Plus, the more you warm up and stretch before pickleball, the less chance of injury and the longer you can play.

Targeting the Right Areas

So, what should you focus on during your warm-up? Andrea recommends paying special attention to the shoulders, wrists, hips, and knees, as these joints undergo repetitive motions during play.

“Dynamic stretching and mobility work for the upper body, particularly shoulder and trunk rotations, along with lower body exercises targeting the hips and knees, are crucial to prepare for the sudden changes in direction and quick movements involved in pickleball,” he says.

Lunges help warm up the legs, knees, and groin.

Lunges help warm up the legs, knees, and groin.

Andrea’s Game-Ready Warm-Up Routine

What makes Andrea’s approach different?

“My approach incorporates joint-specific mobility, soft tissue work, and muscle activation in a structured manner,” Andrea shares. By addressing muscle imbalances and poor joint function, his warm-up routines help prevent overuse injuries, keeping players at their best on the court.

Andrea’s warm-up isn’t just effective—it’s fun! Here’s what you can expect when you hit the court with him:

1. Dynamic Stretching

Say goodbye to static stretching and hello to movement! Andrea will guide you through exercises like arm circles, lunges, leg swings, and torso twists to get your body moving in all the right ways.

2. Cardiovascular Warm-Up

Before you dive into the game, Andrea will help you raise your heart rate with some light cardio, including jogging in place and jumping jacks. This will increase your blood flow and keep your muscles warm.

3. Pickleball-Specific Movements

Andrea knows that preparation for pickleball is unique, so he’ll have you do shadow swings, side-to-side shuffles, and quick directional changes. These mimic the movements you’ll use on the court, so your body will be ready during game time.

4. Gradually Building Intensity

Finally, it’s time to ease into the game with some light rallies. You’ll slowly increase intensity so you’re ready to play at your peak by the time the tournament starts!

A Quick Tip for Players

Andrea also has a quick tip for players looking to improve their game: “Add a dynamic stretch called the ‘Spiderman lunge.’ This targets multiple muscle groups, improving hip mobility, thoracic rotation, and coordination—key areas for pickleball players,” he advises. Incorporating this into your warm-up will help you move more freely on the court.

The Spiderman Lunge

The Spiderman Lunge

Get Fit for Pickleball with PickleFit at Sandcastle Fitness

Want to take your pickleball game to the next level while preventing injuries?

Look no further than Sandcastle 24hr Fitness Club, the official home of the world’s ONLY exclusive Pickleball Fitness & Injury Prevention Coaching Program—PickleFit.

PickleFit!

PickleFit!

Designed specifically for players aged 40+, this 6-week program includes:

  • Personal Training Sessions tailored to your needs
  • A Customized Workout Program to boost strength and agility
  • Injury & Pain Prevention Exercises with access to a full video library
  • Injury-Reducing Court-Side Warmup Videos to keep you ready for the game

Andrea highlights that the PickleFit program combines functional strength training, mobility drills, and cardiovascular conditioning explicitly tailored to the demands of pickleball. “PickleFit focuses on improving players’ strength, balance, and coordination while also addressing injury prevention through targeted joint mobility and muscle activation exercises,” he explains.

Whether you’re new to pickleball or a seasoned player, PickleFit helps you stay strong, prevent injuries, and improve your overall performance. Don’t miss out on this game-changing program at Sandcastle Fitness!

Join the Fun at the DUPRXpress Round-Robin Tournament!

Even if you didn’t snag a spot in the tournament, you can still be a part of the action! Come down to Robert Burnaby Park on Saturday, September 21, 2024, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and cheer on the players as they battle it out for their DUPR ratings. Plus, we’ll have BBQ burgers for sale starting at noon—because what’s better than pickleball and good food?

And come a bit early (8:30 a.m.) and get some professional warm-up tips from Andrea Conti!

It’ll be a fantastic day, full of fun, friendly competition, and plenty of support from the sidelines. Your energy can make all the difference, so bring your cheers and enjoy a day of great pickleball action!

Ready, Set, Play!

With Andrea Conti leading the warm-up and over 60 players competing, the DUPRXpress Round-Robin Tournament is shaping up to be a day to remember.

Whether you’re playing or just watching, warming up is the key to staying injury-free and having the best time on the court. So come on out, enjoy the game, and let’s make this an amazing day together!

And remember to head down to Sandcastle Fitness and ask Andrea to help get you into prime pickleball shape!

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Have you ever had Pickleball Elbow? Here’s 5 tips to prevent it!

Modified for Pickleball elbow !

You mean Pickleball Elbow don’t you?

The game recently give me a Sour Twist and I had to come to the conclusion that the dreaded  “pickleball elbow” is a thing, and my sore elbow is exactly that…lateral epicondylitis. Oh NOOOOO…sheer terror set in as thoughts of no pickleball forced beads of sweat down my brow…but do the symptoms match I ask? My elbow, yes the bony part, and the muscle tissue around it, inflamed and sore. It gets worse the more I play, and my strategies to date—playing through the pain, hoping for my over 50-year-old body to respond as a 25-year-old with a miraculous cure, or just ignoring it in the hopes it goes away—have so far, sadly, failed! However, my newest approach, after “acceptance,” has been to really focus on limited play AFTER a serious set of arm, wrist, and upper body stretches. This has slowly started to yield results. But more about the solutions later…

Why do players get lateral epicondylitis? Pickleball elbow, also known as lateral epicondylitis, is common among avid pickleball players. It occurs due to repetitive stress on the tendons that connect the forearm muscles to the outer part of the elbow. The repetitive motion of hitting the ball with the paddle, especially when done incorrectly, can lead to inflammation and micro-tears in the tendons.

What are the symptoms of lateral epicondylitis? Symptoms of pickleball elbow may include pain and tenderness on the outer part of the elbow, weakened grip strength, and discomfort when performing activities that involve wrist extension or gripping objects tightly. If you find yourself grimacing every time you reach for your pickleball paddle or experience discomfort during daily activities, you might be facing the fact you too have pickleball elbow.  If you need a little more confirmation, here is a really thorough video that helped me confirm my symptoms without wasting my family Doc’s valuable time.

Prevention is always better than cure. Here are a few tips to help you avoid the dreaded pickleball elbow:

  1. Muscle Flexibility: Engage in regular stretching exercises to improve muscle flexibility. Focus on stretching your forearms, wrists, and shoulders before and after playing. This will help warm up the muscles, reduce strain, and increase their range of motion.
  2. Strength Exercises: Incorporate strength training exercises into your routine to build stronger muscles. Pay attention to your forearm muscles, grip strength, and upper body. Consult a fitness professional or physical therapist for exercises that target these areas.
  3. Change Your Grip: Experiment with different grips and pressures on the paddle handle. Avoid excessive squeezing or gripping too tightly. Find a comfortable grip that allows for better control and minimizes stress on your elbow.
  4. Improve Your Swing Mechanics: Work on refining your swing technique and court placement. Focus on using proper form, utilizing the larger muscles of your body, and avoiding excessive strain on your elbow. Seek guidance from experienced players or consider taking lessons to fine-tune your technique.

Additional Pickleball Elbow Prevention:

  • Use an elbow brace or compression sleeve for extra support. However, compression of the muscle didn’t work for me.
  • Take regular breaks during play to rest your muscles and prevent overuse.
  • Listen to your body and avoid playing through pain or discomfort.

Treatment for Pickleball Elbow: If you’re already dealing with pickleball elbow, don’t worry! There are steps you can take to alleviate the pain and promote healing:

  1. Rest and Ice: Take a break from pickleball and give your elbow time to heal. Apply ice packs to the affected area for 15-20 minutes at a time, several times daily, to reduce inflammation.
  2. Pain Relief: I have used, sparingly, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines, like aspirin or ibuprofen to reduce pain and swelling. However, this is not a long-term solution, but rather a small addition after playing, and i don’t suggest taking medications as a pre-game ” play through the pain strategy”! For some, over-the-counter pain medications can help manage the discomfort, so consult with a healthcare professional for appropriate recommendations.
  3. Physical Therapy: Seek the assistance of a physical therapist who can provide targeted exercises to strengthen and rehabilitate the affected muscles and tendons.
  4. Strengthening Stretches: Once the acute pain subsides, incorporate gentle stretches into your routine to gradually regain flexibility and prevent future injuries. Strengthening and stretching exercises are one of the most important components of recovery programs. The underlying principle of stretching is that, by lengthening the tendon during relaxation, we can reduce its stretching during offending movements. The best stretching position for the Extensor Carpi Radialis Brevis tendon is reached with the elbow in extension, forearm in pronation, wrist in flexion, and ulnar deviation of the wrist, according to the patient’s tolerance. This stretching should be held for 30- 45 s and 3 times before and after playing pickleball.

Dynamic stretching exercises for healing Pickleball Elbow

Practicing Safety in Pickleball is More Important Than Practicing Your Dink! Even though pickleball is generally easier on the body compared to other sports like tennis, it’s still essential to prioritize safety. While the court size and paddle design reduce the risk of injury, it’s crucial to train your body to use proper mechanics on the court and take care of your body off the court.

Don’t overplay and incorporate a good pre and post-prevention ritual including a proper body warm-up, dynamic and static stretching, and a decent cool-down period after each session. Listen to your body and address any signs of discomfort early on to avoid prolonged pain or injury.

Pickleball elbow may be an unfortunate reality for many players, but it doesn’t have to be a game-changer. By implementing preventive measures such as muscle flexibility exercises, strength training, adjusting your grip, and improving your swing mechanics, you can significantly reduce the risk of developing pickleball elbow. If you’re already experiencing symptoms, remember to rest, seek professional guidance, and gradually reintroduce physical activity once the pain subsides. Stay safe, take care of your body, and keep enjoying the game we all love—pickleball!

Updated: November 2023: Well, after many months of recurring injury, I surrendered my arm to Vampire doctor, who is know in my area as a Dr with unconventional tactics towards healing my arm. The process has been 10 mins of Electroacupuncture,  a modern

variation of acupuncture. It uses electricity to enhance the benefits of this traditional therapeutic treatment. Then Doc uses Cupping therapy, which is an ancient form of alternative medicine in which he puts special cups on my elbow skin for a few minutes to create suction. According to Doc, besides helping with pain,  it also reduces inflammation by increasing blood flow to the area. Doc Simon says it’s just like an oil change. So far so good, but this time, after 6 weeks off, my goal is to slowly return to the courts, i mean playing only 30 mins to 1 hour for the first week.  Hopefully, some day soon, i will see you guys out there on the courts.

Disclaimer: The content in the IPOP pickleball blog is for informational purposes only. IPOP’s pickleball blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, as IPOP is not a doctor. Always seek the advice of a qualified medical professional.

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