Warming up properly
Fitness · Beginner
Explanation
openThe first hard sprint from a standstill, the first fully stretched backhand — if your body isn't prepared for it, those are the moments when something tweaks. Warming up ensures your body is ready before the game gets serious.
Good warming up does two things. It gets the circulation going and the muscles up to temperature — warm muscles work more smoothly and tear less often. And it prepares exactly the movements you're about to need: lunges, turns, arm swings.
That's why a few minutes of running alone isn't enough. After getting warm, movements that resemble the game belong in it — loose lunges, trunk rotations, arm circles, a few shadow strokes without a Speeder. That way you wake the muscles you're about to demand.
You wouldn't rush a cold car straight onto the motorway. The engine needs a moment to reach operating temperature. Your body just the same.
A rule to finish: warming up means getting warm, not getting tired. It should make you ready, not drain you.
Exercise
openThe short warm-up sequence
Goal
Get the body match-ready before play — circulation, warmth, movement preparation.
How to do it
- First get the circulation going: a few minutes of easy running, jogging or skipping rope until you get slightly warm.
- Then dynamic preparation: loose lunges forward and to the side, trunk rotations, arm and shoulder circles.
- Finally, game-like: a few shadow strokes without a Speeder — forehand, backhand, serve motion — and a few small sprints.
Self-check
You're well warmed up when you feel slightly warm and mobile, but still fresh. If you get out of breath or tire, it was too much. Make sure to include especially the shoulder of your hitting arm and the legs.
Wrap-up
This sequence takes only a few minutes and belongs before every match and every training session. It's the cheapest insurance against injury you have.
Classification
- Playing goals
- Repeated acceleration speed
- Prerequisites
- Why fitness carries your game