The 3 Best Stretches for Badminton

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Improve your badminton and minimize injuries with 3 of the best badminton stretches.

by Brad Walker | First Published January 23, 2009 | Updated March 24, 2019

In the 5th century, players in China volleyed a shuttle back and forth with their feet. By the 17th century, people in Europe started using a racket. Modern badminton can be traced to 19th century India and a game called Poona.

Poona, based on battledore and shuttlecock, was played without a net. British soldiers based in India developed the net variation in early 1870’s. In 1873, the Duke of Beaufort held a lawn party at his country estate named Badminton. Poona was played there and it became an instant hit. People called it the Badminton game.

By 1893 the popular sport grew to 14 clubs. The International Badminton Federation was formed with nine country members in 1934. Its present strength is over 150.

Badminton Stretches and Flexibility Exercises

Muscles used in Badminton

At the competitive levels a great deal of cardiovascular conditioning and muscular endurance are needed. Great agility, quickness and quick reactions are essential to be successful in badminton. Lower body strength and endurance are important to the badminton player. A strong swing requires good upper body strength, as well. Core strength and endurance help with balance, which improves overall agility.

Playing badminton requires the use of the following major muscles:

The muscles of the lower leg; the gastrocnemius, the soleus and the anterior tibialis.
The muscles of the upper legs and hips; the gluteals, the hamstrings, and the quadriceps.
The muscles of the hip; the gluteals, the adductors and abductors, and the hip flexor.
The muscles of the shoulder girdle; the latissimus dorsi, the teres major, the pectorals, and the deltoids.
The core muscles; the rectus abdominus, obliques, and the spinal erectors.
The muscles of the forearm and upper arm; the wrist flexors and extensors, the biceps and the triceps.

A conditioning program that includes an overall cardiovascular program, a solid strength component, and good flexibility training will keep the badminton player healthy and performing at his or her peak.

Most Common Badminton Injuries

Badminton is not a contact sport, but due to the fast pace of the game it can result in numerous sports injuries. Some of the most common injuries in badminton include:

Back sprains and strains;
Ankle sprains;
Achilles tendon strain;
Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) sprain; and
Rotator cuff injuries.

Injury Prevention Strategies

Overall conditioning is essential to the badminton player to help reduce injuries on the court. Other injury prevention strategies include:

Always warm-up properly prior to training and especially competition.
Allow an adequate cool-down period after training and competition.
Playing on well maintained courts with good surfaces will reduce lower extremity injuries.
Using good quality equipment and footwear.
Strong muscles, especially in the lower extremities, will prevent many injuries caused by the constant change in direction and explosive movements.
Good endurance will help delay the onset of fatigue, which contributes to a high percentage of sports injuries.
Body mechanics training will help prevent chronic injuries that develop due to misalignment issues.
Good flexibility training will reduce injuries from tight and inflexible muscles.

The 3 Best Badminton Stretches

Badminton stretches are one of the most under-utilized techniques for improving athletic performance, preventing sports injury and properly rehabilitating sprain and strain injury. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that something as simple as stretching won’t be effective.

Below are 3 of the best stretches for badminton; obviously there are a lot more, but these are a great place to start. Please make special note of the instructions with each stretch, and if you currently have any chronic or recurring muscle or joint pain please take extra care when performing the stretches below, or consult with your physician or physical therapist before performing any of the following stretches.

Instructions: Slowly move into the stretch position until you feel a tension of about 7 out of 10. If you feel pain or discomfort you’ve pushed the stretch too far; back out of the stretch immediately. Hold the stretch position for 20 to 30 seconds while relaxing and breathing deeply. Come out of the stretch carefully and perform the stretch on the opposite side if necessary. Repeat 2 or 3 times.

Rotating Wrist and Forearm Stretch: Place one arm straight out in front and parallel to the ground. Rotate your wrist down and outwards and then use your other hand to further rotate your hand upwards.

Shoulder and rotators stretch for badminton

Elbow-out Shoulder and Rotator Stretch: Stand with your hand behind the middle of your back and your elbow pointing out. Reach over with your other hand and gently pull your elbow forward.

Standing Toe-up Calf and Achilles Stretch: Stand upright and place the ball of your foot onto a step or raised object. Bend your knee and lean forward.

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Research and References

Walker, B. (2011). The Anatomy of Stretching, 2nd Edition (ISBN: 978-1583943717)
Wikipedia contributors. (2019, April 22). Badminton, In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.
Jørgensen, U. Winge, S. (1990). Injuries in Badminton. Sports Medicine, 10(1), 59-64.
Miyake, E. Yatsunami, M. Kurabayashi, J. Teruya, K. Sekine, Y. Endo, T. Nishida, R. Takano, N. Sato, S. Kyung, H. (2019). A Prospective Epidemiological Study of Injuries in Japanese National Tournament-Level Badminton Players From Junior High School to University. Asian Journal of Sports Medicine, 7(1).
Yung, P. Chan, R. Wong, F. Cheuk, P. Fong, D. (2007). Epidemiology of injuries in Hong Kong elite badminton athletes. Research in Sports Medicine, 15(2), 133-146.
Jang, H. Kim, D. Park, J. (2018). Immediate effects of different types of stretching exercises on badminton jump smash. The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, 58(7-8), 1014-1020.
Kokkonen, J. Nelson, A. Eldredge, C. Winchester, J. (2007) Chronic Static Stretching Improves Exercise Performance. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 39(10), 1825-1831.
Shellock, F, Prentice, W. (1985) Warming-up and stretching for improved physical performance and prevention of sports-related injuries. Sports Medicine, 2(4):267-78.
Fradkin, A. Zazryn, T. Smoliga, J. (2010) Effects of warming-up on physical performance: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 24(1):140-8.

Brad Walker - AKA The Stretch Coach About the Author: Brad Walker is often referred to as the "Stretch Coach" and has even been called the Stretching Guru. Magazines such as Runners World, Bicycling, Triathlete, Swimming & Fitness, and Triathlon Sports have all featured his work. Amazon (author page) has listed his books on five Best-Seller lists. Google cites over 100,000 references to him and his work on the internet. And satisfied customers from 122 countries have sent 1,000's of verified customer reviews. If you want to know about stretching, flexibility or sports injury management, Brad Walker is the go-to-guy.

Disclaimer: The health and fitness information presented on this website is intended as an educational resource and is not intended as a substitute for proper medical advice. Please consult your physician or physical therapist before performing any of the exercises described on this website, particularly if you are pregnant, elderly or have any chronic or recurring muscle or joint pain.