The growing popularity of pickleball, padel is encouraging more people to embrace active lifestyles, but sports medicine experts are warning that many recreational athletes are putting themselves at unnecessary risk of injury. With more people taking part in high-intensity recreational sports, healthcare experts are observing a marked increase in injuries, said Universiti Teknologi Malaysia Sports Science senior lecturer Dr Hadafi Fitri Mohd Latip.
“Many people enter these sports enthusiastically but without adequate conditioning, mobility, strength foundation or recovery preparation,” he said to Rappler.
Sports like pickleball, Dr Hadafi said, include explosive movements, rapid changes in direction, repetitive loading and put heavy demands on the cardiovascular system.
“The body’s muscles, tendons, ligaments, cartilage and cardiovascular system need time to adapt to increasing workloads,” he stated.
Problems usually happen when people who have been sedentary suddenly start competing several times a week without a solid physical base.
Common injuries are ankle sprains, ACL tears, meniscus injuries, Achilles tendinopathy, hamstring strains, rotator cuff irritation, lower back pain, plantar fasciitis and wrist or elbow overuse problems, says Dr Hadafi.
“Pickleball and other functional fitness events can be more challenging because they combine endurance activities with resistance exercises,” he said.
Dr Hadafi cautioned that poor movement patterns are common when fatigued. He attributed many ailments to “load mismanagement”, a period of increased exercise volume that outstrips the body’s ability to adjust.
“Many recreational athletes ignore early warning signs. Mild pain is often dismissed as normal soreness or associated with mental toughness in addition to physical strain.
“Commonly missed symptoms are joint instability, chronic stiffness, swelling, stabbing pain, limited mobility, weakness when bearing weight and a feeling of clicking or locking in the joints.
He stated the warning indicators should not be ignored. “Delayed treatment is particularly dangerous because the body naturally compensates for the injured area.
“This puts additional stress on other structures, which causes a chain reaction of secondary injuries.”
Dr Hadafi noted that wearing improper footwear and equipment can contribute to an even greater risk of harm. “Progressive overload has to be progressive and individualized. “What works for elite athletes doesn’t work for beginners or those coming back after long breaks.
Despite the increase in injury cases, Dr Hadafi emphasized that most leisure sports injuries may still be prevented. He recommends a dynamic warm-up of five to 15 minutes before activity, steady development in training intensity, adequate hydration and appropriate footwear.
He said recovery was just as important and should involve cooling down, flexibility exercises, good nutrition, hydration and plenty of sleep. As participation in sports such as pickleball continues to expand across the world, Dr Hadafi believes education will be critical.
“Exercise should enhance quality of life, not lead to a preventable long-term disability.” The goal should be to promote a sporting culture that focuses on longer-term health, injury prevention and sustainable participation, not discouraging participation, he said.
