Pilates guide
Tennis and padel are one-sided, stop-start games: you turn hard through your trunk, serve overhead and lunge on one leg, thousands of times a season. Pilates trains the trunk, rotation both ways, the shoulder blades and the hips. We found no trial of Pilates in tennis players, though. In small trials of core training in racket players, agility and balance improved, but core work on its own gave conflicting results for serve speed: power and strength training do that job.
So use Pilates for control and comfort, alongside power training, strength work and playing, not instead of them.
This guide covers what the game asks of your back, shoulders, elbows and hips, what the trials found, how Pilates fits with power training and matches, changes for tennis elbow, sore wrists and backs that dislike arching, padel, squash and badminton, and a 25-minute both-sides class.
We found no study of Pilates in tennis players. The nearest are one 5-week Pilates trial in 40 badminton players and a small pilot of Pilates added to therapy for tennis elbow, which did no better than therapy alone.
Across 18 small trials in tennis, badminton and table tennis players, core training improved agility and balance against usual training, though hardly any trial blinded anyone. In tennis players, core training was the best method for agility.
Core training alone didn't clearly raise serve speed in one review and did in another; each pooled only 3 trials, which may overlap. Jump (plyometric) and weight training raised serve speed more consistently.
Most injuries in high-performance players are to the legs, then the lower back and the shoulder; in elite juniors, the lower back was the commonest and most severe site. Sudden jumps in training load went with injuries and back pain.
The trunk findings in players with back pain conflict, and shoulder range wasn't linked with injury when studies were pooled. Pilates eases long-lasting back pain about as much as other exercise, and adds shoulder-blade work, but it hasn't been tested as protection in players.
Tennis builds one side: elite players' side-bending and turning muscles were stronger on the non-playing side. Doing every rotation both ways is our suggestion, not a tested rule.
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Split steps, lunges and changes of direction; groundstrokes driven by turning the hips and trunk; and the serve and smash, overhead throwing actions in which the lower back comes close to the end of its range. The forearm grips throughout. Padel adds many overhead and wall shots.
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In high-performance players, leg injuries make up about half, followed by the lower back and shoulder overuse. In Australian national junior players, the lower back was the commonest and most severe site, then the shoulder. In 55 Swedish juniors, half the injuries were in the legs and a quarter each in the arms and the trunk. Our tennis and padel page has the club and padel figures.
Trunk endurance, rotation in both directions, back extension in a comfortable range, shoulder-blade and back-of-shoulder work, side-hip control and single-leg balance. It is light resistance on a mat or on spring-loaded equipment such as the reformer, and the NHS counts it as muscle-strengthening activity. It doesn't build serve power, sprint speed or the forearm strength tennis elbow rehab needs.
Leg injuries are the commonest in high-performance players. In 142 sports students, a difference in hip strength between the two sides went with later sudden leg injuries, an association. Side-lying hip work, bridges and single-leg balance train the side-hip control that split steps and lunges ask for (our reading); our Pilates for knee pain guide has a no-kneeling class.
Our search found no trial of Pilates in tennis players. In one badminton trial, reported inside a 2025 review, 40 men did Pilates twice a week for 5 weeks, and their jump, shuttle-run, balance and hand-eye coordination scores improved. In 17 people with tennis elbow, adding Pilates to standard therapy gave no significant extra benefit.
A 2026 review of 18 randomised trials in racket players (11 in tennis, samples of 12 to 40) found core training improved agility and balance by large amounts and ball speed by a moderate amount, against usual training. Only one trial blinded the players or therapists, and none blinded the people measuring. In juniors, 5 weeks of core work improved agility and balance, and 8 weeks reduced body sway in adolescents.
In 160 adult players, 6 weeks of daily core work improved a movement screening score, but there was no comparison group and no injury count. In 40 players aged 6 to 18, an online yoga programme twice a week for 8 weeks improved core and balance tests.
In one review of 16 trials, core training alone (3 trials, 91 players) didn't significantly raise serve speed, while weight training and mixed programmes did. A 2026 network analysis of 20 studies (606 players) found core training did raise it, again from 3 trials; the two reviews may share trials. Jump training ranked first for serve speed in two of the tennis reviews.
In 41 tennis players (average age 42) with rotator cuff problems, adding core exercises three times a week for 8 weeks eased pain and improved shoulder strength more than training alone. It was one small trial.
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Poor core stability is named among risk factors in studies of high-performance players, and core measures went with leg injuries across sports, but these are associations. No trial has tested Pilates or core training for preventing tennis injuries, and the one tennis prevention trial, an app, didn't work (our tennis and padel page).
Across 23 trials in tennis players, jump training was best for serve speed, sprinting and power, weight training for strength, and core training for agility; twice a week was enough. A 2026 review suggests year-round strength, power and robustness work for the legs, trunk and shoulder, fitted around the tournament schedule.
Do both: Pilates on one or two non-match days, and power, agility and strength work twice a week, as our tennis and padel page sets out (our reading). The NHS asks adults to do muscle-strengthening on at least 2 days a week, and counts Pilates.
In Swedish juniors, playing more than 6 hours a week went with back pain, and in 198 adolescent players each sudden spike in training load raised the rate of back pain. Competitive 12-year-olds had no more back pain or spinal curves than schoolchildren, so tennis itself isn't the problem: how quickly the load rises is.
Players with back pain had less trunk flexor and side endurance in one study of 35 players, but elite players with and without back pain had the same trunk strength in another. In elite adolescents, every player came close to the end of their lower-back range in the serve. Back scans of pain-free elite juniors often showed changes, so a scan finding isn't the whole story.
Across 10 trials, Pilates eased long-lasting low back pain by about 14 points out of 100 in the short term compared with minimal treatment, with no evidence it beats other exercise, and a relaxed rather than braced tummy did slightly better in a 2026 trial. It hasn't been tested in players. Keep the swan and swimming small if arching hurts.
Professional players with past shoulder pain had less inward rotation in both shoulders, not a bigger difference between sides. Across 17 studies of 2,195 overhead athletes, no shoulder range measure was significantly linked with injury. Our shoulder guides stretch only a clear one-sided loss, cross-body stretch first.
Face-down Y-T-W raises, scapular push-ups and band rotations with the elbow by your side train the shoulder-blade control and endurance that the shoulder programmes on our tennis and padel page build (our reading). The full programme, trialled in handball players, is on that page.
In a pilot of 17 people with tennis elbow, adding Pilates-based trunk, posture and flexibility work to standard therapy didn't improve recovery more than therapy alone. Our tennis elbow guide has the treatment, built on forearm loading.
Do the knee hover, leg pull front and side bend on your forearms, or skip them, and do scapular push-ups against a wall. Don't squeeze a ring or ball hard. Keep forearm discomfort to about 3 to 4 out of 10, settling within an hour and no worse the next morning, and stop for tingling, as our tennis elbow guide says. The same changes suit a sore wrist on the little-finger side.
In 38 elite players, the side-bending and turning muscles on the non-playing side were stronger, from the forehand and the serve. That's an adaptation, not a flaw. Doing every rotation and side-lying move the same number of times both ways is our suggestion; no trial has tested it.
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The core training trials included badminton and table tennis players, and the one Pilates trial in racket players was in badminton. In padel, the elbow is the most reported injury site, so take care with weight on the hands; our tennis and padel page covers padel's elbows and eyes.
Our editorial plan, built on the trials:
5 to 8 breaths, the hundred's 50 beats building to 100 and 6 to 10 single-leg stretches each side are the move pages' doses; 6 dead bugs each side and two 20-second knee side planks each side are our editorial starting point.
6 thoracic rotations, 8 to 10 open books, 6 slow criss-crosses, 3 to 4 spine twists and 3 to 4 saws each side are the move pages' doses. Do every one the same number of times both ways.
5 of each Y-T-W shape is from our climbers' antagonist workout, 2 sets of 10 scapular push-ups from our Pilates for swimmers class and 2 sets of 10 band rotations each arm from our tennis and padel injury prevention routine; 5 to 6 swans and 2 to 3 sets of 20 to 30 seconds of swimming are the move pages' doses.
3 to 5 shoulder bridge kicks, 8 to 10 side kicks and 2 sets of 5 hip airplanes each leg are the move pages' doses; 2 sets of 10 clams each side is from our tennis and padel injury prevention routine, and two 30-second single-leg stands each leg from our Pilates for golfers class.
With tennis elbow or a sore wrist, do the knee hover, leg pull front and side bend on your forearms or skip them, and do push-ups against a wall.
If your back hurts when you arch, leave out rocking, the double-leg kick and the swan dive, and keep the swan small. A young player's back pain that lasts and is worse arching backwards needs checking (our spondylolisthesis guide).
With a sore neck or glaucoma, leave out the neck pull, roll-over and jack knife. With osteoporosis, use a flat-back hinge and a head-down chest lift instead of the roll-up and rolling like a ball (the move pages' cautions).
Do the 25-minute Pilates class once or twice a week on non-match days. The injury prevention routine and the racket warm-up are on our tennis and padel page; the shoulder, wrist and golfers' classes add more rotation and shoulder work.
A 25-minute Pilates class for tennis and padel players: trunk endurance, rotation both ways, shoulder blades, hips and single-leg balance, on a mat.
25 minBeginner19 movesA band, An anchor pointA 25-minute routine for racket players: the five-part Shoulder Control programme from handball trials, band rotations, forearm lowering, hops and balance.
25 minBeginner12 movesA dumbbell, A cable machineA 12-minute warm-up for tennis, padel, squash or badminton: skipping, leg swings, trunk turns, band shoulder work, forearm circles, shuttles and landings.
12 minBeginner10 movesA wall, A bandA 25-minute band routine for healthy shoulders: move the shoulder and upper back through their range, then strengthen the rotator cuff and shoulder blades.
25 minBeginner12 movesA wall, A bandWrist mobility and forearm strength for desk work, climbing, push-ups and handstands.
10 minBeginner7 movesA wall, A dumbbellA 25-minute Pilates class for golfers: upper-back and hip rotation, trunk control, side-hip strength and one-leg balance, done equally on both sides.
25 minBeginner19 movesA wallEach plan gives you strength days; add the Pilates class on one of the other days.
Two full-body strength sessions a week: the minimum that meets health guidelines, with every set, rep and rest, and an 8-week progression.
2 training days45 minBeginner3 days a weekA free 4-week, 3-day Pilates plan for complete beginners. Two mat days and one wall day, with clear rules for when to move each exercise to its harder version.
3 training days25 minBeginnerCall 999 if:
Call 999 or go to A&E (accident and emergency) straight away for severe difficulty breathing (gasping, choking or not able to get words out), a chest that feels tight or heavy, pain that spreads to your arms, back, neck and jaw, lips or skin turning very pale, blue or grey, or sudden confusion. If you're more short of breath than usual, or your heart is racing, fluttering or skipping beats, contact NHS 111.
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Go to A&E or call 999 if you've injured your arm and it is numb, tingling or has pins and needles; a bone is sticking out or a bad cut is bleeding heavily; or the arm or elbow has changed colour or shape, or is at an odd angle. Don't drive yourself.
Go to an urgent treatment centre or A&E for a pop or snap and sudden pain during an effort, which could be a torn tendon, as our tennis elbow guide says.
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Call 999 or go to A&E if, after a fall or injury, your shoulder looks out of place or has changed shape, you cannot move your arm, or your shoulder is painful, bruised or swollen. Do not drive yourself, and do not try to put it back in yourself.
Same day (GP or NHS 111): sudden or very bad shoulder pain; you cannot move your arm; the arm or shoulder is badly swollen or has changed shape; pins and needles that do not go away; no feeling in the arm; the arm is hot or cold to the touch; pain that started after an injury such as a fall; or severe pain in both shoulders.
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See a GP or physiotherapist for elbow pain that hasn't gone after at least 2 weeks of looking after it yourself, or shoulder pain that is getting worse or hasn't improved after 2 weeks, or if it's very hard to move your arm. In many areas you can refer yourself to NHS physiotherapy. Tennis elbow that hasn't improved after 12 to 24 weeks of good care needs referral, as our tennis elbow guide says.
Call 999 if someone has hit their head and has been knocked out and hasn't woken up, can't stay awake or keep their eyes open, has a fit, has fallen from a height of more than 1 metre or 5 stairs, has problems with their vision or hearing, has clear fluid coming from their ears or nose, has new numbness or weakness, has problems with walking, balance, understanding, speaking or writing, hit their head at high speed, or their behaviour has changed. Get help from NHS 111 if they're being sick, feel dizzy or take medicine that thins the blood. If you're told to go to A&E (accident and emergency), don't drive yourself there if you have hit your head.
With a suspected concussion, if in doubt, sit them out. The UK's grassroots guidelines say no sport for at least 24 hours, get checked by a healthcare professional or NHS 111 within 24 hours, follow a staged return, and no competition before day 21; if symptoms last beyond 28 days, stay out of sport and see a doctor. Pilates waits too: gentle breathing and mobility fit the early, light-activity stages, and trunk and strength work come later (our reading). Our concussion guide has the stages.
Back pain that lasts more than a couple of weeks and is worse arching backwards, as in the serve, can be a stress fracture of the spine: see a GP or sports physiotherapist (our spondylolisthesis guide).
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The NHS advises getting advice from a healthcare professional first if you have a health problem, an injury or symptoms, or have recently had a heart attack or an operation.
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Not shown. No trial has tested Pilates in tennis players, and core training alone gave conflicting results for serve speed in two small reviews. Jump and weight training raised serve speed more consistently.
Core measures went with injuries in observational studies, but no trial has tested core training or Pilates for preventing tennis injuries.
Competitive 12-year-olds had no more back pain than schoolchildren. Back pain went with sudden rises in training load, and scan changes are common in players without pain.
Shoulder range wasn't significantly linked with injury across 17 studies. Stretch only a clear loss on one side, as our shoulder guides say.
The core training trials in racket players used floor exercises. The reformer adds springs and straps; the mat does the same jobs.
It's a sensible way to train trunk endurance, rotation both ways, the shoulder blades and the hips. No trial has tested Pilates in tennis players, but in small trials of core training in racket players, agility and balance improved. Use it alongside power and strength training, not instead.
Probably not on its own. Core training alone gave conflicting results for serve speed, while jump and weight training raised it more consistently. Our tennis and padel page has the power training.
It hasn't been tested. Injuries went most with sudden jumps in training load, and the one tennis prevention trial, an app, found no effect. Build your playing time gradually and use Pilates for control and comfort.
It doesn't treat it: in a small pilot, adding Pilates to therapy didn't speed recovery. You can keep doing Pilates with changes: do weight-on-the-hands moves on your forearms or skip them, don't squeeze a ring or ball hard, and keep forearm discomfort to about 3 to 4 out of 10. Our tennis elbow guide has the treatment.
It may: Pilates eases long-lasting back pain about as much as other exercise, though it hasn't been tested in players. Keep back extension small if arching hurts, and build training load gradually, since load spikes went with back pain in young players. A young player's back pain that lasts and is worse arching backwards needs checking.
The hundred, dead bug and side plank for the trunk; the criss-cross, spine twist, saw and open book for rotation both ways; Y-T-W raises and scapular push-ups for the shoulder blades; and shoulder bridges, side kicks, clams and single-leg balance for the hips. Our 25-minute class puts them together.
It can be: the springs add resistance to leg, hip and back work. No study has tested it in tennis players, and the mat does the same jobs.
The same reasoning applies: the core training trials included badminton and table tennis players, and the one Pilates trial was in badminton players. Padel players should be careful with weight on the hands, because the elbow is the most reported padel injury site.
Neither has been tested for injuries in tennis players. A yoga programme improved core and balance tests in young players, and core training improved agility. Choose the one you'll keep up, and add power training for speed.
Once or twice a week on non-match days is a good start, for at least 6 to 8 weeks, the length of most core trials (our suggestion). Keep power and strength sessions twice a week too.
Use the racket warm-up before you play instead: skipping, leg swings, trunk turns, band shoulder rotations and short shuttles, then mini-tennis. Save Pilates for another time or day (our suggestion).
Call 999 for chest pain, fainting or severe breathlessness on court. Go to A&E for an elbow or shoulder injury that leaves the arm numb or out of shape, get same-day help for sudden, very bad shoulder pain or an arm you can't move, and see a GP if elbow pain hasn't eased after 2 weeks of looking after it yourself.
Exercise education, not a personal prescription, and clinical review of these guides is pending. If you are pregnant, have a health condition or have had recent surgery, check with a doctor, midwife or physiotherapist before starting, and stop for sharp or increasing pain. Health disclaimer.
