»RUSTY: Hi! Welcome to a new episode of Pickleball 411. I'm Rusty,
and this show is all about providing helpful information about the sport of pickleball.
This week we're going to talk about the best kind of stretch to do after you play
pickleball and why you should do it. So, let's learn and play.
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»ANNOUNCER: Pickleball 411 is powered by Hyland's Leg Cramps. Proud supporter
of pickleball players everywhere. »RUSTY: Today on Pickleball 411 we're coming to you again from the
beautiful Red Mountain Resort here in St. George, Utah, and we are with Rebecca Dalley,
certified personal trainer and health and fitness expert here at Red Mountain Resort.
And what else do you do? »REBECCA: I play pickleball! »RUSTY: Now, last time on Pickleball 411,
we talked about the benefits of stretching before you play. But what about afterwards?
Rebecca is going to get into the details of why you should stretch after you play, and the best way to do it
when you get off the court. ♪♪ lively music ♪♪
»REBECCA: Before we get started with our stretches, I just want to explain the difference to you between static
stretching and dynamic stretching. Static stretching, which most of you are familiar with,
is when you stretch the muscle to its full range of motion and hold it
for a specific amount of time. Dynamic stretching is when you use movement and momentum
to loosen and stretch the muscles.
After you get off the courts, you want to perform static stretching. It's going to help to
increase the joint range of motion and also reduce the risk of injury.
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All of these stretches can be easily done standing or seated, possibly using a bench or
even some bleachers. The first stretch is going to concentrate on the ham strings
and the IT band, which tend to get really tight after a pickleball match. Go ahead and place
your foot up on top of the chair. Hinge from the hips and reach to the outside of the foot.
You want to hold this stretch for approximately 10 to 30 seconds.
And then repeat if necessary. If you're a little less flexible, it's okay if
you reach to the outside of the shin and even the knee. If
you have issues with balance, you can easily sit down and perform the same stretch.
Extend the leg out, keep the chest lifted, and hinge forward
to your maximum range of motion. Make sure to do the same thing
on the opposite side. ♪♪ lively music ♪♪
When I first started playing pickleball, I had a lot of tension in my hips and glutes.
So this stretch is going to help to open up those areas.
Go ahead and have a seat in the chair. Place your ankle on the
opposite knee. You'll immediately feel a stretch in the outside of your hip and glute.
To intensify the stretch, you can lean forward slightly,
keeping your chest lifted. You're going to want to hold this stretch for about
10 to 30 seconds before you switch sides.
If you're a little less flexible, here's an option for you.
Go ahead and extend the opposite leg, and then cross the
ankle on top of the knee. You might feel an immediate stretch, and if you do, hold
this position. Otherwise, slowly drag that foot in towards the body
until that tension is felt and hold that position.
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Pickleball obviously involves a lot of shoulder. So, I'm going to show you a stretch to open up the front and back of the shoulder.
Bring the arm across the body, and pull in with the opposite hand.
You're going to hold this for about 10 to 30 seconds before switching to the
opposite side. You should feel a stretch across the back of the shoulder
and even into the back. In order to stretch the front of the
shoulder, you're going to need a little bit of help from a wall or a pole or even your
pickleball partner. So, come together, bending the elbow at ninety degrees.
Apply a little bit of pressure and turn away from each other.
This is going to help to stretch the chest and the front of the shoulder.
Make sure to hold this for 10 to 30 seconds before switching sides.
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♪♪ lively music ♪♪ For our next stretch, we're going to
release the lower back. So, seated in a chair,
step the legs a little bit wider than hip distance apart. Lean forward
until a stretch is felt. If your range
of motion is much greater, you can move all the way towards the floor.
Otherwise, stay up a little big higher.
Drop the chin towards the chest, and you'll feel this in the lower back and
upper back. After you're done with that stretch
you can sit up and simply twist. So, take the hand to the opposite knee.
Make sure you sit tall through the spine. Twist and look over
the shoulder. Hold this for 10 to 30 seconds before switching to the opposite side.
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»RUSTY: So, that's our Pickleball 411 for today. Thank you so much, Rebecca, and thank you
Red Mountain Resort here in St. George, Utah for letting us learn a little bit about
stretching after you play pickleball. Now there's only one thing left to do and that's go play.
♪♪ upbeat music ♪♪ »ANNOUNCER: If there's something you
think Pickleball 411 should cover, we'd love to hear from you. All you have to do is
send us an email and tell us your idea. This episode of Pickleball
411 has been brought to you by Hyland's Leg Cramps. America's #1
over-the-counter leg cramp medicine. For more information, go to
Hylands.com.
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