Pickleball: A Good Exercise for Arthritis

If you are living with arthritis, finding a sport that keeps you moving without worsening joint stiffness or pain can feel like an uphill battle. High-impact activities like running or tennis can place stress on weight-bearing joints, often leaving you worse off after a session.

This is where pickleball comes into play. As the official supports and braces partner of USA Pickleball, we know a thing or two about this brilliant sport! The paddle sport is one of the fastest-growing sports for arthritis sufferers, and has taken community centres and local clubs by storm. But is it a safe and beneficial exercise for arthritis? In this blog, we cover why pickleball is a good exercise for arthritis, how you can protect your body on the court, and how targeted support from our Active supports range can help keep you moving with confidence.

When managing arthritis, it is not recommended to just rest. Instead, our arthritis research shows that gentle physical activity is vital for keeping joints lubricated, strengthening supporting muscles, and maintaining flexibility. However, the exercise you choose does matter, as you want to improve your pain, not make it worse. 

Pickleball shines as an ideal exercise for arthritis for several reasons:

• Smaller Court Dimensions: A pickleball court is significantly smaller than a tennis court (sharing the dimensions of a badminton court). This drastically reduces the total distance you have to sprint or jog during a rally.

• Low-Impact: The ball is lightweight and plastic, and the paddle is compact, meaning strokes rely more on skill, placement, and technique rather than just force.

• Shorter, Manageable Rallies: The underarm serve and slower ball speeds create a flow that keeps your heart rate up without putting extra strain on your knees, hips, and lower back.

For more information on what pickleball is and how the game works, read our blog ‘What is Pickleball?’ 

It might seem counterintuitive to play a sport when your joints are aching, but regular, low-impact activity like pickleball can help actively improve arthritis symptoms over time:

• Improved Joint Lubrication: Joints rely on movement to circulate synovial fluid (the natural lubricant that nourishes cartilage and keeps joints moving smoothly). Regular, gentle movement helps reduce that morning stiffness and keeps your joints feeling less stiff. 

• Muscle Strengthening: Weak muscles force your joints to absorb more shock. Pickleball gently engages your quadriceps, calves, core, and upper body, building strength around vulnerable joints to help absorb impact and provide better everyday support.

• Weight Management: Carrying extra weight places significant pressure on weight-bearing joints like the knees and hips. Engaging in an enjoyable sport makes maintaining an active, calorie-burning lifestyle much easier.

While pickleball is much gentler than other more traditional racquet sports, quick lateral movements, sudden stops, and repetitive movements can still push vulnerable joints. To help protect your body whilst playing, it’s important to keep in mind the following: 

• Prioritise a Proper Warm-Up: Never step straight onto the court. Spend 5 to 10 minutes doing dynamic stretches, gentle leg swings, and arm circles to warm your muscles and joints.

• Invest in Proper Court Shoes: All trainers have different uses. For example, running shoes are designed for forward motion and have thick treads that can grip the court too tightly, increasing the risk of twisting a knee or ankle. If you can, it is better to wear dedicated court shoes with proper lateral support. If you are experiencing foot problems, try our NeoThotics Orthotic insoles in your court shoes for added support. 

• Listen to Your Body: Mild, dull muscle fatigue is normal, but sharp or shooting joint pain is a red flag. Take regular breaks and pace yourself. For more help & advice, check out our comprehensive ‘Arthritis Injury Guide’ 

Even with perfect technique, arthritic joints sometimes need an extra layer of support to handle the twists and turns of a match. Wearing an arthritis brace can help manage discomfort, provide compression, and warm the muscle.

At Neo G, our Class 1 Medical Device Active supports are designed for everyday athletes and sports enthusiasts:

• Neo G Active Knee Support: Ideal for players managing weak, injured, or arthritic knees. Featuring Multi Zone Compression, it surrounds muscles and joints to provide targeted, snug yet flexible support that helps warm the muscles. Built with a specialist breathable fabric for moisture control during intense rallies, this knee brace’s slimline, lightweight design means it fits comfortably underneath your sportswear.

• Neo G Active Wrist Support: Pickleball involves a lot of quick wrist action during dinking, volleying, and backhand shots. If you suffer from arthritic wrists, this breathable wrist brace helps ease strain. It delivers targeted compression to support weak or injured wrists, keeping you comfortable from your first serve to match point.

• Neo G Active Elbow Support: An ideal brace if you want to protect your arm from the repetitive swinging and impact of paddle sports. It offers targeted multi-zone compression to help support stiff, weak, or arthritic elbows, while remaining lightweight and breathable for total freedom of movement on the court.

• Neo G Active Ankle Support: Designed to help protect against the sudden lateral movements and quick changes of direction common in court sports. This pickleball brace provides snug, supportive compression around the ankle joint to help reduce stiffness without adding bulk inside your court shoes.

Pickleball is a fantastic sport for reclaiming your active lifestyle, even with arthritis, proving that you do not need to do high-impact workouts to stay fit and healthy. If you haven't stepped onto a court yet, now is the perfect time to give this welcoming, fast-growing sport a try.

For extra confidence, explore our Neo G Active Supports collection today and keep moving doing what you love!