“One of the biggest misconceptions I see is that people think pain is simply part of getting older or part of playing pickleball. I don't believe that has to be the case,” says physical therapist and pickleball player Reece Miranda.
Reece specializes in working with pickleball players and acknowledges that stretching is, of course, important, but says isometric exercises can potentially be a bigger benefit.
Isometrics are a type of strength training where muscles contract without any visible movement in the surrounding joints. That's different from stretching, where the goal is to lengthen a muscle.
“A simple way to think about an isometric exercise is this: imagine pushing against a wall as hard as you can. Your muscles are working, but nothing is actually moving,” Reece says.
He knows what exercises athletes need because he’s been athletic his entire life. Growing up in North St. Paul, MN, Reece played hockey (naturally), soccer, ran track and practiced martial arts.
“Movement has always been a big part of who I am,” Reece says.
He has a Doctorate degree in physical therapy and during college worked in the weight room with athletes at the University of Minnesota. He calls that “an incredible experience,” but adds, “I found myself wanting to make a bigger impact on everyday people’s lives.”
Reece first played pickleball in March 2024 and like most newbies, he says he fell in love with it immediately. He decided to combine his new passion with his old one.
“As I started working with more pickleball players, I noticed the same complaints over and over: sore knees getting out of the car after playing, stiff Achilles tendons in the morning, aching shoulders, and elbows that hurt every time they stepped on the court.
“That made me start asking a different question which was not "How do I treat this injury?" but "How can I help more pickleball players than just the ones who live near me?"
Reece training a client last fall at the Score Hub sports complex in Oakdale, MN. He used to train Division 1 athletes but, “wanted to make a bigger impact on everyday people’s lives.”
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Reece helps players to “play without pain for life” as he puts it. The 34-year-old Cottage Grove, MN, resident owns On The Move Therapy & Wellness. The practice is based in the Twin Cities but Reece works with clients throughout the US and internationally, guiding them through personalized recovery and performance plans.
Reece met his wife, Keshia, in 2017. They have a 20-month old son and she’s expecting another child in February. Yet he finds time to play pickleball three times a week and loves the sport.
“Many pickleball players assume they're tight because they feel stiff, so they spend a lot of time stretching,” Reece said. “Stretching certainly has its place, and it can make people feel better temporarily. But if the real issue is that the muscles and tendons aren't strong enough for the demands of pickleball, that relief usually doesn't last very long.
“Isometric exercises allow us to begin strengthening often with much less discomfort, which creates a foundation for progressing into more dynamic strength and movement over time.”
Reece differs from many other physical therapists because as a regular pickleball player he knows firsthand the demands the sport puts on the body. That knowledge is crucial to the types of exercises he put his clients through.
“They’re not a magic tool,” Reese says in reference to isometrics, “but they’re an excellent first step for many players dealing with overuse injuries or in times of increased pain.
Here are Reece’s top five warm up tips for pickleball players:
1. Warm up by moving, not by stretching.
Spend five to ten minutes doing a dynamic warm-up that gets your hips, knees, shoulders, ankles, and core moving. Save long static stretches for after you're done playing.
2. Stay hydrated.
Good hydration helps your muscles and tendons perform their best and can reduce stiffness during longer playing sessions.
3. Build strength away from the court.
Many pickleball injuries aren't caused by one bad movement, they happen because the body isn't prepared for hundreds of repetitive movements. Strength training just two days per week can make a tremendous difference.
4. Increase your court time gradually.
It's easy to go from playing once a week to playing every day because the game is so much fun. Unfortunately, your body doesn't always adapt that quickly. Gradually increasing your playing time helps reduce overuse injuries.
5. Listen to recurring pain.
Some soreness is completely normal. Pain that continues to worsen, changes the way you move, or lingers for several days is your body's way of asking for attention before it becomes a much bigger problem.
Reece shares free tips, exercises, and injury prevention advice on social media to help pickleball players stay healthy. His Facebook page is called “On The Move Therapy & Wellness.” He also offers a complimentary phone consultation that he calls a “Discovery call.”
“We’ll talk about what's been going on, what's keeping you off the court, and whether I think I'm the right person to help. If I am, I'll explain what working together looks like. If I'm not, I'll do my best to point you in the right direction.”
You can reach Reese by visiting his website, www.getonthemovept.com
“I don't just prescribe exercises, Reece says, “I coach people through recovery so they can continue playing the sport they love.
“While aches and pains can certainly happen, most players can continue enjoying the sport for many years if they build strength, manage their workload wisely, and address small issues before they become major issues.”
And if you ever play pickleball against Reece, be nice. He has 2nd degree black belt in Taekwondo.
Thoughts of the week, not all pickleball
· I really wanted to love The Dink, the comedy about pickleball that debuted July 24th on Apple +. I found it funny in spots but often sophomoric, like the overly long discussion about masturbation that Ben Stiller, playing a doctor, had with the co-star Jake Johnson. That dialogue would have been funny with a couple of lines instead of lasting a couple of minutes. Overall, though, I thought the film was decent, thanks mainly to its characters’ funny quirks and the talents of the wonderful Mary Steenburgen. In the big picture, I do think it’s good for pickleball that a film with major stars (besides Steenburgen, Stiller and Johnson, the cast includes Ed Harris and Patton Oswalt, with tennis legends Andy Roddick and John McEnroe) garnered a lot of attention around the country. I give The Dink a C. It is still far better than last December’s ridiculously bad rom-com on Lifetime, A Pickleball Christmas. That film had actors portraying supposedly good pickleball players playing entire games from the baseline, among other mistakes. Apparently, Lifetime was too cheap to hire a knowledgable pickleball player as a consultant.
· I am committed to finally changing my pickleball routine after six years of playing and my skills not improving significantly. My official age-based DUPR is 3.384, based on the only two DUPR sanctioned events in which I have played. Numerous instructors and high-level players have told me over the past year or two that I am about a 3.5 player. But since my skills have stagnated I plan to play fewer games and do more drilling. Most high-level players drill much more than they play. When I interviewed Ben Johns for Pickleball Magazine two years ago, he told me he drills 80% of the time. I need to remove the instant gratification derived from playing games if I want to get better.
· I did not watch one second of the World Cup. I find soccer boring. If the USA made the final, I probably would have watched that.
· A random thought running through an old guy’s mind: I detest it when musicians are very late to start their concerts. I’m talking two hours late or more. Among those frequently tardy: Madonna, Lauryn Hill and Guns N’ Roses. It is inconsiderate to ticket buyers, especially those attending on work or school nights, parents with babysitters, and drivers whose cars are in parking lots that will be closed by the time the concert is over.
· I spent last weekend in Northern California wine country in between working on an upcoming piece for Pickleball Magazine. Took a break and visited Bodega Bay and the famous house filmed in Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds. It was a schoolhouse in the 1963 film but has been a privately owned home since 1966. That was cool to see. And the wine wasn’t bad, either.
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