Sports training
Tennis and padel injury prevention
No programme has been shown to prevent injuries in tennis or padel. The shoulder block is Shoulder Control as trialled in handball, untested in racket sports: done about once or twice a week, it more than halved shoulder injuries in teenage handball players. Do each exercise for 30 seconds, moving slowly, 1 to 2 seconds each way: 2 rounds in season and 3 out of season. The band rotations, hops, balance and clamshells come from the Lawn Tennis Association's injury prevention routine; the forearm and calf work is our choice.
Shoulder Control (2 rounds in season, 3 out of season)
2 rounds
- Scaption raise30 sBeginner · Shoulders, Chest · 3D demoA light weight, thumbs up, to shoulder height. The trial used a Y-raise against a band anchored low in frontEasier: Band lateral raiseHarder: Smith machine upright row
- Beginner · Shoulders, Chest, Abs · 3D demoOn your knees and forearms first, as in the trial; then on your hands, then on your toesEasier: Dumbbell shoulder-blade punchHarder: Pike push-up
- Thoracic rotation30 s each sideBeginner · 3D demoTurn from the ribs; the harder levels rotate from a forearm plankHarder: Reverse lunge with rotation
- Single-leg Romanian deadlift30 s each sideAdvanced · Hamstrings, Glutes, Abs · 3D demoThe one-arm diver: one arm reaching overhead, hinge to a T and back; bodyweight first, then a ball or dumbbellEasier: Dumbbell Romanian deadlift
- Cable press and rotation30 s each sideIntermediate · Abs, Shoulders, Chest · 3D demoArms straight, turn against a band or cable and return slowlyEasier: Half-kneeling Pallof pressHarder: Cable wood chop
Shoulder rotation
- Standing band external rotation2 × 10 each armBeginner · Shoulders, Back · 3D demoA light band fixed to the net post or a door, elbow bent to 90 degrees at your sideHarder: Side-lying external rotation
Forearms
Rest 30 s
- Wrist-extensor eccentrics2 × 15, lowering over 3 to 4 sBeginner · Forearms · 3D demoPalm down; lift with the other hand, lower slowlyHarder: Wrist curls
- Beginner · Forearms · 3D demoHold a light dumbbell or a hammer near one endEasier: Wrist-extensor eccentricsHarder: Forearm plank
Legs and landing
- Single-leg stand2 × 6 ball circles each legBeginner · Hip abductors, Calves, Glutes · 3D demoCircle a tennis ball round your standing foot with the other foot, without putting it downEasier: Tandem stance and heel-to-toe walkHarder: Single Leg Reach Matrix
- Single-leg hop and stick2 × 6 each legIntermediate · Quads, Glutes, Calves · 3D demoHop forward, land heel to toe, quietly, and holdEasier: Standing broad jump with stuck landingHarder: Alternate-leg bounding
- Clamshell2 × 10 each sideBeginner · Hip abductors, Glutes · 3D demoHips stacked; don't roll backHarder: Lateral band walk
- Single-leg calf raise from a step2 × 12 each legIntermediate · Calves · 3D demoSlow up, slower down, a hand on the railEasier: Slow calf raiseHarder: Single-leg pogo hops
Tips
- The handball trials asked for 3 sessions a week; players managed 1.3 to 1.6 and still had fewer shoulder problems, so twice a week is a realistic target. In season, the Shoulder Control block alone fits into your warm-up, as it did in the trial.
- Move up a level when an exercise stops being challenging, as the trial did: the push-up plus on your toes, rotations with the arm out to the side, a ball or dumbbell for the diver.
- Keep forearm work to the elbow pain rule: discomfort no more than about 3 to 4 out of 10, settling within an hour and no worse the next morning, and stop for tingling. With tennis elbow now, follow our tennis elbow guide's stages instead of this block.
- Shoulder discomfort up to about 5 out of 10 is acceptable if it's back to normal by your next session, as our shoulder guides say.
- After an ankle sprain, keep balance work going 3 times a week for 8 weeks once you're back on court, and wear a brace for the season, as our ankle sprain guide sets out.
The doses are suggested starting points, not a prescription. Choose a range you can control and stop for sharp or increasing pain, numbness or tingling. Get individual advice after an injury or surgery, or if you are pregnant or managing a health condition.
Guides that recommend it
Find more moves like these
More sports training
Injury prevention exercises for runners
Foot, calf, balance and hop exercises taken from the running trials with positive results, in a 25-minute home routine for 3 or 4 days a week.
25 minBeginner11 movesOther / check instructions, A bench or box
Plyometrics for runners
A 20-minute hop and bound session for runners: ankle bounces to pogo hops, one-leg hops and bounding, building foot contacts slowly over 10 weeks.
20 minIntermediate8 movesCardio machine
Strength workout for cyclists (gym)
A 50-minute gym session for cyclists: heavy squats, one-leg presses, hip flexion and calf raises as in the cycling trials, plus jumps for bone.
50 minIntermediate13 movesCardio machine, A barbellQuestions people ask
How long does the tennis and padel injury prevention take?
About 25 minutes, including any warm-up and cool-down listed. Shorten it by doing fewer rounds; lengthen it by adding one.
What equipment do I need?
You need: A dumbbell, A cable machine, A band, An anchor point, A bench or box, A wall, A step. Each move links to its guide, where you can find an alternative if you are missing something.
Is it suitable for beginners?
It is written for beginners. 8 of its 12 moves have an easier option listed beside them if you need one.
How do I make it easier or harder?
Use the easier or harder option listed under each move, change the number of rounds, or adjust the rest. Progress one change at a time.