Key Takeaways
- In one 2025 study, 69.2% of surveyed Portuguese padel practitioners reported experiencing at least one padel-related injury during their playing lifetime, with the elbow the most common site (Ferreira et al., Medicina, 2025). Targeted cross-training is worth taking seriously.
- A 2026 meta-analysis of tennis, badminton and table-tennis athletes found that core-strength training improved balance, agility, core endurance, muscular strength and ball velocity, with qualitative findings also suggesting potential benefits for spin control and shot accuracy (Yu, Yin & Zhang, Scientific Reports, 2026).
- Pilates ranked #2 in AUSactive's Top 20 Australian Fitness Trends for 2025–26, making the crossover between Pilates and padel particularly timely and accessible.
- All 12 exercises in this guide are mat-based, require no equipment beyond a firm mat and can be completed in 30 to 45 minutes or trimmed to a 10-minute pre-match routine.
Introduction
Padel demands rotation, lateral agility, core stability and shoulder mobility throughout a match. That list reads like a Pilates syllabus. The physical overlap makes mat Pilates a practical form of complementary training for padel players looking to develop greater control, stability and mobility.
In May 2026, abit.of was one of the sponsors of Pilates x Padel: The Sunday Social, a sold-out event at Padel Point Bankstown that opened with a 45-minute guided Pilates session before moving to 90 minutes of social padel. abit.of resistance bands were used throughout the Pilates session and included in every goodie bag. That morning showed what the research already suggests: these two disciplines work well together in practice. Australia's padel community is growing quickly, with 154 courts across 33 operational clubs listed as of May 2026. This guide covers 12 mat Pilates exercises organised by training goal, with sets, reps and instructions for each. You can explore the wider padel scene in Australia at Padel Point Bankstown.
Why padel players need Pilates
In one 2025 study, 69.2% of surveyed Portuguese padel practitioners reported experiencing at least one padel-related injury during their playing lifetime, with the elbow the most common site at 18.0%, followed by ankle at 16.6%, knee at 12.5% and shoulder at 10.5%. Those numbers put injury in the statistical mainstream for padel players, not at the margins.
Padel involves repeated unilateral and overhead movement. In a 2025 study of professional padel players, 78% showed a reduced external-to-internal shoulder rotation strength ratio on the dominant side (Souza Viera et al., Sports Biomechanics, 2025). While this does not establish injury causation, it demonstrates the muscular asymmetry that can develop in the sport and supports the case for balanced strength and mobility work.
A 2026 meta-analysis of tennis, badminton and table-tennis athletes found that core-strength training improved balance, agility, core endurance, muscular strength and ball velocity. Its qualitative findings also suggested potential benefits for spin control and shot accuracy (Yu, Yin & Zhang, Scientific Reports, February 2026). Although padel was not included, the findings are relevant to several physical demands shared across racket sports. AUSactive ranked Pilates as Australia's #2 fitness trend for 2025–26, showing that an accessible crossover between Pilates and padel already has a strong audience.
12 Pilates exercises for padel players
These exercises are organised into three sections: Core Activation; Rotation and Lateral Strength; and Shoulder and Hip Mobility. Work through all three for a full 30 to 45-minute session, or select individual exercises to target a specific training goal.
If you are managing an existing injury or returning to exercise after time off court, consult a physiotherapist or exercise professional before starting this programme.
| Exercise | Section | Primary goal | Padel movement targeted |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Hundred | Core Activation | Core endurance under load | Sustained rallies |
| Single Leg Stretch | Core Activation | Hip flexor strength | Lateral lunges, split step |
| Criss-Cross | Core Activation | Oblique rotation | Groundstrokes, bandeja |
| Bird Dog | Core Activation | Anti-rotation stability | Direction changes |
| Rolling Like a Ball | Rotation and Lateral Strength | Spinal mobility | Post-session recovery |
| Spine Twist | Rotation and Lateral Strength | Thoracic rotation | Rotational shots |
| The Saw | Rotation and Lateral Strength | Rotation + hamstring flexibility | Court coverage |
| Side Kick Series | Rotation and Lateral Strength | Hip abductor strength | Lateral shuffle, split step |
| Swan Prep | Shoulder and Hip Mobility | Thoracic extension | Overhead smash, posture |
| Thread the Needle | Shoulder and Hip Mobility | Thoracic rotation + shoulder | Overhead and lateral shots |
| Mermaid Stretch | Shoulder and Hip Mobility | Lateral chain flexibility | Side-to-side coverage |
| Leg Circle | Shoulder and Hip Mobility | Hip stability and range | Ground coverage, landing |
Core Activation
Your trunk helps transfer force and maintain control through many padel shots. These four exercises build the endurance and anti-rotation stability to hold form through a full match.
The Hundred
- Sets/reps: 1 set of 100 arm pumps, completed across 10 breath cycles
- Padel benefit: Builds full-body endurance and diaphragmatic breathing under load, matching the demand of a long rally.
- How to do it: Lie on your back and raise your legs to tabletop position. Lift your head and shoulders off the mat. Pump your arms in small, controlled pulses while inhaling for 5 counts and exhaling for 5, completing 10 breath cycles for 100 total pumps.
Single Leg Stretch
- Sets/reps: 3 sets of 10 each side
- Padel benefit: Strengthens the hip flexors required for the deep lateral lunges and split steps that define padel footwork.
- How to do it: Lie on your back with your head and shoulders curled off the mat. Draw one knee to your chest while extending the other leg long at a 45-degree angle. Alternate legs in a smooth, controlled rhythm, keeping your lower back pressed into the mat throughout.
Criss-Cross
- Sets/reps: 3 sets of 10 each side
- Padel benefit: Trains oblique rotation in the same movement pattern used during every padel groundstroke and bandeja.
- How to do it: From a curl-up position with hands behind your head, rotate the opposite elbow toward the bent knee while extending the other leg long. Hold the rotation briefly at end range before returning to centre and switching sides. Avoid pulling on your neck.
Bird Dog
- Sets/reps: 3 sets of 10 each side
- Padel benefit: Builds anti-rotation stability through the lumbar spine, which is essential for absorbing and redirecting force during padel's explosive direction changes.
- How to do it: Start on hands and knees with a neutral spine. Extend your right arm and left leg simultaneously, keeping your hips level and your core engaged. Hold for two seconds, return with control, then repeat on the opposite side.
Rotation and Lateral Strength
Many padel shots rely on effective rotation through the trunk and upper back. These four exercises develop the range of motion, mobility and lateral hip strength to support it.
Rolling Like a Ball
- Sets/reps: 3 sets of 8
- Padel benefit: Encourages controlled spinal articulation and mobility.
- How to do it: Sit near the front of your mat with knees hugged to your chest and feet lifted. Round your spine into a C-curve and roll back smoothly to your shoulder blades. Use the momentum to return to sitting and balance briefly on your tailbone before repeating.
Spine Twist
- Sets/reps: 3 sets of 8 each side
- Padel benefit: Develops controlled thoracic rotation, the specific range of motion used in padel shots from the forehand drive to the smash.
- How to do it: Sit tall with legs extended in front of you and arms extended out to the sides at shoulder height. Rotate your torso fully to one side, keeping your hips square and your spine long. Return to centre with control before rotating to the other side.
The Saw
- Sets/reps: 3 sets of 6 each side
- Padel benefit: Combines upper-body rotation with hamstring mobility in a single movement.
- How to do it: Sit tall with legs slightly wider than hip-width and arms extended out to the sides. Rotate toward one leg and reach the opposite hand toward the little toe in a small sawing motion, as though cutting through resistance. Keep the opposite hip grounded and return to centre before switching sides.
Side Kick Series
- Sets/reps: 3 sets of 12 each side
- Padel benefit: Strengthens the hip abductors responsible for padel's lateral shuffle, split-step landing and recovery between shots.
- How to do it: Lie on your side with your body in a straight line, bottom hand supporting your head. Lift the top leg to hip height and kick it forward to your comfortable end range, then sweep it back behind your hip in a controlled arc. Keep your torso stable throughout and avoid rocking at the pelvis.
Shoulder and Hip Mobility
Padel's forward-flexed, unilateral mechanics tighten the thoracic spine, shoulder girdle and lateral hip chain over time. These four exercises work against that pattern.
Swan Prep
- Sets/reps: 3 sets of 8
- Padel benefit: Opens the thoracic spine and chest, directly counteracting the forward-flexed posture that builds up through extended padel play.
- How to do it: Lie face down with your hands placed under your shoulders and elbows close to your body. Press the chest up and away from the mat using your back extensors, keeping your pelvis down and your elbows soft rather than fully locked. Lower with control.
Thread the Needle
- Sets/reps: 3 sets of 8 each side
- Padel benefit: Releases thoracic rotation and shoulder mobility simultaneously, supporting mobility through the upper back and shoulder during rotational and overhead movement.
- How to do it: Start on hands and knees. Slide one arm along the mat under your body and rotate until the back of that shoulder and the side of your head rest on the mat. Hold for a breath, then return to the start position with control before repeating on the other side.
Mermaid Stretch
- Sets/reps: 3 sets of 6 each side
- Padel benefit: Lengthens the lateral chain (the side body, obliques and hip flexors) that works constantly during padel's side-to-side court coverage.
- How to do it: Sit with your legs folded to one side. Reach the top arm up and over into a long side stretch, keeping the opposite sit bone grounded. Breathe into the stretch along the full length of your side body, then return to upright before repeating.
Leg Circle
- Sets/reps: 3 sets of 8 each direction
- Padel benefit: Builds hip stability and range of motion in the socket, improving ground coverage and landing mechanics.
- How to do it: Lie on your back with one leg extended to the ceiling and the other leg long on the mat. Draw smooth, controlled circles from the hip socket, not the knee. Keep the pelvis stable and the circles within a range that allows you to maintain that stillness. Reverse direction after each set.
How to fit Pilates into your training week
The studies included in the 2026 meta-analysis generally used repeated core-training sessions across several weeks. For recreational players, one or two Pilates sessions per week is a practical starting point alongside regular padel training.
Option A: Full 30 to 45-minute session. Work through all 12 exercises section by section. This is best scheduled on a rest day or a light training day, not immediately after a padel session when fatigue may compromise form.
Option B: 10-minute pre-match routine. Use exercises 1 (Hundred), 2 (Single Leg Stretch), 6 (Spine Twist), 10 (Thread the Needle) and 11 (Mermaid Stretch). This sequence activates the core, warms up thoracic rotation and opens the lateral chain without creating fatigue. On match morning, run through Option B after a short walk and some light movement. The day before a match is fine for a full Option A session, provided you allow a full night's recovery.
What mat do you need?
Not every mat works for this kind of training.
Exercises involving spinal rolling, such as Rolling Like a Ball, may feel uncomfortable on a very thin mat. Prone and kneeling movements such as Swan Prep and Bird Dog also benefit from cushioning around the ribs, pelvis and knees. At the same time, the surface should feel stable enough for balance and controlled weight-bearing exercises.
The foldable yoga mat for padel training from abit.of is 6mm thick, 100% TPE and weighs 650g with a footprint of 1830x610mm. It is firm enough to hold position during balance work, cushioned enough for spinal rolling exercises and light enough to fit in a padel bag alongside your racket. Available in Ivory, Black, Dusty Mauve and Mist Blue.
Where this guide comes from
In May 2026, PILAA, Mawi Movement and Padel Point Bankstown hosted Pilates x Padel: The Sunday Social. The format: 45 minutes of guided mat Pilates on court, followed by 90 minutes of instructor-led social padel. All levels welcome. It sold out.
abit.of was one of the event sponsors. Resistance bands were used as equipment throughout the Pilates session and included in every goodie bag. That morning is the lived experience behind this guide.
Frequently asked questions
How often should padel players do Pilates?
For recreational players, one or two Pilates sessions per week is a practical starting point alongside regular padel training. For many players, one full session plus the 10-minute pre-match routine is a manageable way to build Pilates into the week. Consistency across weeks matters more than session frequency in any single one.
Can I do Pilates the day before a padel match?
Yes, with one adjustment: stick to the mobility-focused exercises (Thread the Needle, Mermaid Stretch, Spine Twist) and avoid anything that creates significant muscular fatigue. The goal the day before a match is to arrive loose and primed, not depleted. Save the full Hundred and Bird Dog sets for off-days.
Is mat or reformer Pilates better for padel players?
Both can support core strength and rotational mobility. Mat Pilates is more accessible: you need no equipment other than a firm mat, and every exercise in this guide is mat-based. The reformer adds spring resistance and may also be used under professional supervision for shoulder rehabilitation and hip stability work. If you are new to Pilates, mat is the natural place to start.
Do I need a special mat for Pilates?
You do not need a mat labelled specifically for Pilates, but thickness and grip both matter. A mat under 4mm may feel less comfortable for spinal rolling exercises. A mat that compresses underfoot makes balance work harder for the wrong reasons. The abit.of foldable yoga mat at 6mm TPE handles both requirements and is compact enough to carry to the club.
Sources
- Ferreira et al. "Sport-Related Injuries in Portuguese Padel Practitioners and Their Characteristics." Medicina (Kaunas), September 2025. PMID 41011098.
- Yu, Yin & Zhang. "Effectiveness of Core Strength Training for Racket Sport Athletes' Performance: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis." Scientific Reports, February 2026. PMID 41663490.
- Souza Viera et al. "Assessment of shoulder joint and muscle characteristics side-asymmetry in professional padel players." Sports Biomechanics, 2025. PMID 39989410.
- Belmar-Arriagada et al. "Padel Related Injuries: Prevalence and Characteristics in Chilean Amateur Players – A Cross-Sectional Analytic Study." BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation, July 2025. PMID 40604888.
- AUSactive. "2025-26 Fitness Trends Survey."
- Padel Racket Australia. "Padel Courts Australia: 154 Courts & 33 Clubs Tracker." Updated 28 May 2026.