Move Like an Animal: Mobility Warm-Up for Better Pickleball

A Smarter Warm-Up Inspired by How You Were Built to Move

Before you sprint, lunge, or stretch for a tough dink, your body needs to be awake. Not just “I had coffee” awake—but primed, agile, and responsive. That’s where animal-themed mobility drills come in. These playful, primal moves prep your joints, activate key muscles, and loosen up tight spots—all while being low-impact and easy to scale for different fitness levels. For pickleball players, they’re especially effective in warming up the hips, shoulders, core, and stabilizers that keep you quick and injury-free on court.

Here are 7 animal-inspired movements to build into your pre-game routine:

1. Inch Worms

   Start standing, hinge forward, and walk your hands out to a high plank. Pause, then walk your feet toward your hands and stand tall. This stretches hamstrings, warms up shoulders, and activates the core—perfect for transitioning into lateral movement and fast footwork.
   

2. Crab Crawl

   Sit on the floor, hands behind you, feet planted, lift your hips, and crawl backward or forward. Great for shoulder stability, posterior chain engagement, and wrist mobility. Bonus: it fires up glutes and hamstrings, both crucial for explosive court movement.
   

3. Monkey Shuffle

   In a deep squat, place your hands on the ground and hop side to side like a monkey. This builds lateral strength and agility, and opens up hips and ankles—a smart prep for split steps and quick directional changes. I was doing these at a recent tournament and got some funny looks, but after winning the match, I didn’t mind.
   

4. Bear Crawl

   Start on all fours with knees hovering just off the ground, and crawl forward slowly. Bear crawls activate the shoulders, core, and hips while building cross-body coordination.
   

5. Scorpion Stretch

   Lie face down, arms out wide. Swing one leg over your body toward the opposite hand to stretch the hip flexors and spine. This dynamic twist is excellent for counteracting stiffness from sitting or one-sided movements.
   

6. Frog Hops

   From a squat, place your hands down and hop forward, landing softly. It’s a good way to prep your knees and ankles for the jumping and bouncing nature of pickleball.
   

7. Lizard Crawl

   Think bear crawl meets stretch—step one foot forward outside your hand while lowering your hips, then switch sides. It opens the hips, stretches the groin, and fires up your lower body.

Try a circuit of 20-30 seconds per move before you hit the court. You’ll feel looser, lighter, and quicker—and you’ll probably get a few curious looks, too. Just tell them you’re training like a beast.