Prevention is better than cure

We all know it: a padel arm, painful knees or jumping shins. Every team has an unlucky person who suffers from temporary or sometimes permanent injuries. Fortunately, many injuries can be prevented. JustPadel is happy to explain how, because prevention is of course better than cure!

This week we have listed some tips for you in our blog, so that you can continue to enjoy padel without any worries!

Causes of injuries

Before you know how to prevent an injury, it is useful to better understand what causes injuries. Injuries can have various causes, such as insufficient preparation, poor fitness or worn equipment; time to throw away those old shoes!

Below you can read how you can tackle the causes and prevent injuries!

Things you can do to prevent injuries

• Ensure a good warm-up - Padel is a dynamic sport, which requires you to use different muscle groups. By training these different groups with a warm-up you can at least reduce the risk of injuries. So give your muscles time to warm up properly before you start a game of padel. On average, it is recommended to spend ten to fifteen minutes on your warm-up. JustPadel is happy to give you some inspiration for a fun and suitable warm-up:

• Walk-in (5-10 minutes)
• Start walking
• Switch to easy walking (2-3 minutes). Make sure you roll your feet properly and move your arms along.
• Vary your running steps. Consider, for example, cross steps, knee lifts or connecting steps.
• Respond in a measured manner
• It is especially important that you gradually build up the intensity of your strokes.
• Start at a slow pace and hit with little force
• Go through all the strokes. Try to keep moving, for example by dribbling.
• After a while you can stand a little further apart and start hitting with more force.
• Finish with a few strokes at normal speed.
• Dynamic stretching
• Stretching reduces muscle tension and improves the flexibility of your muscles and joints. In addition, stretching improves blood flow, which also has a positive effect on your breathing.
• During your stretching exercises, pay particular attention to your calves, thighs and shoulders.
• Other tips:
• Don't work up a sweat during a warm-up.
• Your warm-up should be longer and more intensive if it is cold or early in the day. Your body is then less flexible.
• Don't rest after the warm-up, but start playing padel straight away. The effect of a warm-up disappears after 5 minutes of rest.
• There are also various apps that can help you with a nice warm-up.
• Wear the right protection - 42% of injuries are caused by an accident with a ball. This number can be reduced by wearing good protection. For example, consider comfortable padel shoes with a (non-worn) herringbone profile. High-quality material should be seen as an investment, it can very effectively help prevent injuries and reduce pain. On our site you will find some stylish and useful items. We are also happy to give you advice about the best padel rackets . We understand better than anyone how difficult it can sometimes be to find a racket that suits you. Otherwise, try our racket selection aid !
• Wear training pants before and after padel - this keeps your muscles nice and warm and also ensures less muscle pain! Keeping your muscles warm is important for muscle relaxation. If they cannot cool slowly, they can tear off more easily. In winter, you might even consider keeping your training pants on while playing. In addition, especially in cold weather, only take off your pants after your warm-up, if you are going to be fully padel-playing.
• Make sure you train your muscles - By strengthening your muscles you reduce the risk of injuries. You can train your muscles through exercises with low weight and high repetitions. This way you train your endurance and your muscles do not become too 'big'. This contributes to your flexibility and agility.

Below we have shown the above tips in a more schematic way for you. Hopefully you can now hit the padel court a little more carefree!

Have fun!