You don’t have to move like a 25-year-old to enjoy pickleball, improve your mobility and keep getting better.
One of the great things about pickleball is the variety of people who play it. Some players are lifelong athletes. Others discovered the sport later in life. Some are remarkably mobile and quick. Others are playing with an artificial knee, a repaired hip, a stiff back, an old shoulder injury or simply a body that doesn’t move the way it did 20 years ago.
And that’s perfectly okay.
In fact, it is something we should remember whenever we talk about exercise and mobility for pickleball players.
An exercise that looks impressive in a photograph may not be appropriate for everyone. The goal isn’t to reproduce somebody else’s movement. The goal is to find the version of the movement that your body can perform safely and comfortably.
There Is No Single “Pickleball Body”
Pickleball attracts players across a remarkably wide range of ages and abilities. That means there can’t be a single exercise routine that works equally well for everyone.
A younger, highly mobile player might comfortably perform a deep lateral lunge. Another player may need to limit the depth. Someone with a history of knee surgery might choose a completely different exercise. A player with balance concerns may need a chair, wall or other stable support.
None of those modifications mean the player is doing the exercise “wrong.”
They mean the exercise has been adapted to the person.
Mobility Is Important. Maximum Range of Motion Is Not the Goal.
Hip mobility matters in pickleball because the sport involves changing direction, reaching laterally, getting into a lower position and rotating through the hips and trunk.
But better mobility does not mean forcing a joint into the deepest possible position.
Can I move through the range of motion I need for my game with control and without pain?
That’s a much more useful goal than trying to match the range of motion demonstrated by someone else.
Take the Lateral Lunge, for Example
The lateral lunge is a good example of an exercise that can look very different from one person to another.
A strong, mobile player may be able to step wide, bend deeply into one hip and keep the opposite leg extended.
Another player might perform a much shallower version.
Someone else might simply practice a controlled side step while keeping the knees and hips in a comfortable range.
And a player who needs additional support might hold onto a sturdy countertop, railing or other stable surface while practicing the movement.
All four approaches can train the general idea of moving laterally. They simply meet different bodies where they are.
If You Have Had Knee or Hip Replacement Surgery
This is where general exercise advice needs an important qualification.
A joint replacement does not automatically mean you have to give up pickleball or mobility training. But your appropriate movements, range of motion, loading and progression can depend on the type of surgery, how long ago it occurred, your recovery and your individual medical situation.
Current physical-therapy guidance for people who have undergone total knee replacement emphasizes progressively increasing physical activity according to safety, functional tolerance and individual response, rather than using a one-size-fits-all progression.
If you have had a joint replacement or another significant orthopedic procedure, your surgeon or physical therapist is the right person to help determine which movements and ranges are appropriate for you.
Don’t use somebody else’s exercise photograph as your rehabilitation prescription.
There Are Usually Easier Ways to Train the Same Quality
If a particular exercise doesn’t work for you, that doesn’t necessarily mean you have to abandon the underlying goal.
For example, if a deep lateral lunge is uncomfortable, you might explore a more manageable version of lateral movement, such as:
- a shallow side lunge
- a controlled side step
- a supported side squat
- standing hip-abduction work
- seated or supported hip-mobility movements
The exact choice should depend on your abilities and, where appropriate, the advice of your healthcare or exercise professional.
The same principle applies to balance, strength, rotation and reaching exercises.
Support Is Not a Sign of Weakness
This is particularly important for older players.
Using a wall, chair, railing or other stable support can make an exercise more accessible while allowing you to work on strength, balance and mobility.
There is no prize for doing an exercise unsupported if doing so makes you unstable.
In fact, balance is an important component of physical activity for older adults. Current public-health guidance recommends that adults 65 and older include aerobic activity, muscle-strengthening activity and balance activities in their weekly routine. It also emphasizes being as active as one’s abilities and conditions allow.
The best exercise is often the version you can perform consistently and confidently.
Don’t Confuse “Challenging” With “Effective”
Social media has given us an endless supply of impressive-looking exercises.
Deep lunges. One-leg squats. Huge ranges of motion. Explosive jumps.
They can make great photographs.
But an exercise doesn’t have to look spectacular to be useful.
A controlled side step may be exactly the right challenge for one player. A supported squat may be more appropriate than a deep unsupported squat. A short range of motion may be more useful than forcing a joint farther than it comfortably wants to go.
Exercise should challenge your body, not challenge your ego.
What If Something Hurts?
Don’t automatically assume that discomfort is something you should push through.
Persistent pain, significant swelling, instability, unusual symptoms or pain associated with a previous surgery deserve appropriate professional attention.
And if you are returning to activity after surgery or a significant injury, get guidance about what is appropriate before deciding how aggressively to progress.
There is an important difference between gradually challenging a healthy movement and repeatedly provoking a problem.
The Real Goal: Keep Moving
One of the most encouraging things about getting older is that physical activity doesn’t have to stop simply because your body changes.
It may need to change with you.
Current guidance for older adults emphasizes that some physical activity is better than none, and that people should choose activities appropriate to their abilities and conditions. Regular activity can support physical function, independence, balance and quality of life.
That is a much better message for pickleball players than “you need to be able to do this exercise.”
Find the movement your body can do. Start there. Then, if appropriate, build from there.
Pickleball Should Meet You Where You Are
Maybe you are 45 and can still move like an athlete.
Maybe you’re 65 and recovering from knee replacement.
Maybe you’re 75 and have discovered that pickleball is one of the best reasons you’ve ever had to get off the couch.
Maybe you’re somewhere in between.
You don’t have to look like the person in the exercise photograph.
You don’t even have to perform the same exercise.
You just need to find a safe and appropriate way to keep developing the mobility, strength, balance and movement that help you enjoy the game.
That’s what exercise adaptation is all about.
A Final Thought
If you see an exercise online that looks impossible for you, don’t immediately conclude that you are too old, too stiff or too damaged to benefit from it.
Instead, ask:
“What is this exercise trying to accomplish, and how can I train that quality at my current level?”
That question opens a lot more doors than simply trying to copy the photograph.
And in pickleball, as in life, finding the right version of the movement is often far more valuable than trying to prove you can do somebody else’s.
Want a More Structured Approach?
If you’re looking for a more structured way to improve your pickleball fitness, mobility, strength and overall conditioning, we’ve taken a closer look at the Dynamic Pickleball program in our full review.
Important: This article is for general educational purposes and is not individualized medical, rehabilitation or exercise advice. If you have had joint replacement surgery, another orthopedic procedure, a significant injury, or a condition that affects your ability to exercise, consult your surgeon, physical therapist or other qualified healthcare professional about appropriate movements, range of motion and progression.