Sunday, ten in the morning. You get out of the car, walk onto the court, hit four easy balls and by the third bandeja your lower back feels tight. Or you head out for a run and the first ten minutes feel like someone else’s legs: stiff hips, short stride, calves like stone. If you’re over 40 and this sounds familiar, it doesn’t mean padel or running is no longer for you. It means your body is asking for a bit more mobility for padel and running, before and after you play.
The essentials in 30 seconds
- Padel is short rallies full of twists, smashes and sudden stops. Arrive cold and your back ends up working overtime.
- An 8-minute dynamic warm-up changes how you move from the very first point.
- Afterwards, 5 minutes of slow movements so you don’t wake up stiff the next day.
- Add strength work twice a week and spend fewer hours sitting in one go.
Why does your back feel loaded after padel once you’re over 40?
Padel combines quick trunk rotations, overhead shots and sideways braking in very short rallies. If you spend the week sitting and step onto the court cold, your hips and upper back have less freedom, and your lower back ends up doing part of a job that isn’t its own. That’s why it feels loaded.
A review published in Frontiers in Sports and Active Living sums it up: in elite men’s padel, rallies last around 9 to 13 seconds, with 8 to 10 shots per point and 10 to 20 seconds of rest. It’s an effort in bursts: lots of starting, stopping and twisting.
According to Spain’s 2022 Sports Habits Survey, 9.1% of the population played padel that year and 10.9% went running or power walking. Many spend the week in front of a computer and then, on Saturday, ask their body to twist like it did at 25.
The three areas that feel it most
- The upper back. It should rotate with every shot. If it’s stiff, the rotation gets borrowed from further down.
- The hips. You crouch for a low ball and stand back up in two stages.
- The shoulders. Bandejas and smashes call for loose shoulders, not shoulders that live up by your ears.
And on Monday, is it hard to turn your neck when parking? That isn’t the unavoidable price of playing. Very often it’s the result of arriving cold and leaving cold.
Which padel mobility routine should you do before playing?
Spend about 8 minutes on a dynamic warm-up: first raise your heart rate, then move your shoulders, trunk and hips, and finish with footwork and a progressive knock-up. The NHS recommends warming up for at least 6 minutes with movement rather than standing still and stretching. Be wide awake for the first point, not halfway through the first set.
You can do this padel mobility routine right on the court, racket in hand.
- 012 minMarching and side stepsTo raise your heart rate gradually
- 0210 + 10Shoulder circlesForwards and backwards, big and slow
- 0310 each sideRacket twistsTrunk rotation without forcing
- 046 per legLunge with a twistHips, legs and trunk together
- 0510 + 10Leg swingsFront-to-back and side-to-side
- 063–4 minProgressive knock-upBaseline, volleys and gentle smashes
1. Marching with arm swings and side steps
March on the spot, lifting your knees well and swinging your arms. Then move along the back of the court with short side steps, from one side to the other, without crossing your feet.
Dose: 2 minutes in total · at a pace where you can still talk
2. Shoulder and arm circles
Small shoulder circles first, then stretch your arms out and make big, slow circles, as if you were swimming backstroke. No jerking.
Dose: 10 forwards + 10 backwards · once
3. Trunk twists with the racket
Feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent. Hold the racket with both hands at chest height and turn slowly to one side and then the other, following the racket with your eyes.
Dose: 10 twists each side · slow at first, a little brisker at the end
4. Lunge with a twist
Take a long step forwards and lower your back knee a little, without touching the ground. From there, rotate your trunk towards the side of your front leg. Come back, switch legs and move forwards across the court.
Dose: 6 per leg · 1 set
5. Leg swings
Rest one hand on the net or the fence. Swing one leg forwards and backwards, relaxed, gradually increasing the range. Then swing it side to side in front of your body.
Dose: 10 front-to-back + 10 side-to-side · per leg
Finish with 3 or 4 minutes of progressive knock-up: baseline, volleys and, at the end, gentle bandejas and smashes.
What if you run? Mobility for runners over 40
Before a run, 5 minutes is enough: walk briskly, move your ankles and hips and run the first few minutes at a pace where you could hold a conversation. When you finish, walk and do two or three slow hip and back movements. Heading out cold or heading out ready: that’s where the difference lies.
Running is thousands of almost identical steps. If your hips and ankles lack freedom, your stride shortens and your body compensates somewhere else.
6. Knee to wall
Stand facing a wall with one foot forward, about a hand’s width away from it. Bring your knee towards the wall without lifting your heel off the floor, then come back.
Dose: 10 per leg · slowly
Exercises 2, 3 and 5 from the padel routine also work well before a run.
What should you do after a match so you don’t wake up stiff?
When you finish, don’t get straight into the car. Walk for 3 or 4 minutes and spend another 5 on slow movements: opening up your upper back, stretching the front of your hips and gently moving your spine. Your body is warm, so it’s the best moment.
1. Open book
Lie on your side with your knees bent and your arms stretched out together in front of you. Open your top arm towards the other side, rotating your trunk and following your hand with your eyes. Your knees stay together on the floor.
Dose: 8 each side · breathe deeply with each opening
2. Front-of-hip stretch
Right knee on the floor (with your towel underneath) and left foot in front. Draw your belly button in slightly and shift your hips forwards until you feel a stretch in the front of your right thigh. Don’t arch your lower back.
Dose: 30 seconds · twice each side
3. Cat-camel
On all fours, hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips. Round your back, looking towards your belly button, then gently let your back dip as you look ahead. A slow movement, in time with your breathing.
Dose: 8 slow repetitions
Still stiff the next day? Try our 5-minute routine to start the day feeling loose.
How much movement do you need on top of your sport?
Spain’s Ministry of Health recommends that adults get 150 to 300 minutes a week of moderate activity, or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous activity, plus strength exercises for the major muscle groups at least two days a week.
One minute of vigorous activity is roughly equal to two of moderate activity, so two intense matches already cover a good part of it. What’s usually missing after 40 comes down to two things.
1. Strength twice a week
No gym needed: 20 minutes at home with squats to a chair, glute bridges, rows with a resistance band and side planks with your knees down. More strength means more control every time you brake.
2. Fewer hours sitting in one go
The WHO and Spain’s Ministry of Health agree on limiting sedentary time and replacing it with activity of any intensity, even light. If you work in an office, the micro-break method at the computer is a good place to start. And if you’re already past 50, here are more ideas on mobility after 50.
What do we do at Ôlin with amateur sportspeople?
At Ôlin we don’t replace your coach or your doctor. We assess your mobility, strength, balance and posture, look at how you rotate, crouch and take load, and carry out gentle, precise chiropractic adjustments. We also give you mobility tips for padel or running and for your everyday life.
Many people who come to our centres in Barcelona (Eixample) and Malgrat de Mar play padel or run, and they tell us the same thing: “I don’t move like I used to”, “the day after a match I’m all stiff”. That’s where we start: your sport, your schedule and what you want to keep doing.
In all honesty: there’s no such thing as perfect posture, and the cracking sound of an adjustment doesn’t mean something has “gone back into place”. If we see something that needs another professional, we’ll tell you.
Important: this article offers general information about wellbeing and healthy habits. Chiropractic at Ôlin is wellness-focused and does not replace medical care. If you notice any symptom that worries you, please see your doctor.
Frequently asked questions
Is it better to stretch before or after playing padel?
Before, dynamic movements work best: twists, lunges, swings and footwork. Holding stretches for 30 seconds fits better at the end, when your body is warm.
How many padel matches a week can you play after 40?
There’s no universal number: it depends on your fitness, the intensity and how you feel the next morning. A good guide: one day between intense matches and two strength sessions a week.
Can I play padel and go running in the same week?
Yes, they complement each other: padel works rotation and changes of direction; running builds endurance. Avoid back-to-back intense days and always respect your warm-up and cool-down.
When is a good time for a chiropractic session if I play padel?
Any time of the week works, although many people prefer not to have one right before a demanding match. What matters is that the support fits around your sports calendar. We’ll talk about it at your first visit and adapt it to you.
Want to know how your body moves on court?
First visit for €80: a conversation about your sport and your daily life, a complete assessment and your first chiropractic session. No commitment, in Barcelona (Eixample) or Malgrat de Mar.
Sources
- Guijarro-Herencia J. et al. — Conditional performance factors in padel players: a mini review. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living (2023)
- Spanish Ministry of Culture and Sport / Consejo Superior de Deportes — Sports Habits Survey in Spain 2022. Summary of results (2022, in Spanish)
- Spanish Ministry of Health — Physical activity recommendations for adults (2023, in Spanish)
- World Health Organization — Physical activity, fact sheet (2024)
- NHS — How to warm up before exercising