If your court is booked in a fixed slot, the clock starts when the slot starts, not when your legs are ready. And until it does, the group before you may still be on court, finishing a point that won't end.
So split the warm-up in two. Do the body part courtside while you wait. Do the ball part in the first eight minutes on court. Then, when the hour is up, take five minutes to cool down and layer up before you head for a drink.
The exercises below come from the LTA's padel warm-up guide. The timings are a suggested split of them, not the LTA's. Padelism makes clothes, not training plans, so treat this as a sensible order to do things in, not a coaching programme.
The short version: 12 minutes courtside (cardio, squats, lunges, wall press-ups, leg swings, three goals), eight minutes on court with a ball (back-court rally, net and overheads, ladder rally, serves), five minutes after (walk, easy movement, dry kit, layers on in order).
Why split it?
The LTA suggests taking 10 to 15 minutes to warm up before you play. Do all of that on court and you've spent a quarter of a one-hour booking without keeping score.
There's a rulebook reason too. In competition, the FIP gives players a 3-minute courtesy rally before the match (Rule 2.2). That's time for the racket, not for squats, so the body work has to happen before you step on. The same habit works for a Thursday night four. If you want the full rulebook in one page, see our padel rules sheet.
The courtside card: 12 minutes before your slot
Find a bit of space that isn't anyone's court. Keep your warm layer on for all of this.
| When | What | How |
|---|---|---|
| 12 to 10 min before | Gentle cardio | Brisk walk or easy jog. The LTA suggests about two minutes |
| 10 to 8 min before | Squats | 10 reps. Feet flat, bend the knees, stand up slowly |
| 8 to 6 min before | Lateral lunges | 10 reps. Step wide, bend the landing leg, push back, swap sides |
| 6 to 4 min before | Forward lunges | 10 reps. Front knee to about 90 degrees, push back up |
| 4 to 2 min before | Wall press-ups | 10 reps against a wall, on the balls of your feet |
| 2 to 0 min before | Leg swings, arm rotations, side shuffles | Easy, then a bit bigger. Pick your three goals |
A few notes on the card.
Use a wall, not the glass. The court glass belongs to whoever is playing. Any solid wall away from the courts does the same job.
The three goals are the LTA's idea. Pick three small things for the session, like landing three lobs or using the back glass more. Hitting them counts as a win, whatever the score says. It takes ten seconds and you can do it mid leg swing.
Leg swings and arm rotations come from the LTA's winter advice, which lists them with lunges and side shuffles as dynamic stretches that copy padel movement. They suit the last two minutes because you can do them standing by the door.
The on-court ball sequence: minutes 0 to 8
Now it's your court. Four players, two ends, one plan.
| Minute | Block | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 0 to 2 | Back-court rally | Everyone at the back. Easy pace. Try to keep one rally going past 10 shots |
| 2 to 4 | Net and overheads | One player per pair moves up. Volleys, then a few lobs for overheads. Swap |
| 4 to 7 | Ladder rally | Rally three shots, then four, then five. A miss sends you back to three |
| 7 to 8 | Serves and returns | Two each, both sides |
The rally target, the net work, the ladder and the serves are all from the LTA's racket warm-up. It suggests around five minutes for the ladder on its own. On a tight booking, three minutes of it is better than none.
Why bother with a ball warm-up if your body is ready? Because squats don't teach your hands anything. The courtside card gets you moving. The ball part gets your timing back.
When does the layer come off? Around minute 2, once the first rally stops feeling stiff. Fold it and leave it on the bench, so it's dry when you want it back.
If you only have three minutes, keep the back-court rally and the serves. For more on what to practise once the warm-up is done, our beginner padel tips go through the basics.
One more FIP detail worth knowing. If rain or bad light stops a match, Rule 2.11 sets the warm-up when you restart: none after a stoppage of up to 5 minutes, one minute after 5 to 20 minutes, and three minutes after more than 20.
The five-minute cool-down and layer-up order
When your slot ends, the next group may already be waiting. So the cool-down starts as you walk off, not on the bench.
This isn't a recovery routine. It's just five minutes that stop you going straight from a sprint to a bar stool in a wet top.
| Minute | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1 | Walk. Collect the balls, shake hands, clear the court on time |
| 2 | Keep moving gently. Slow walk, loose arm circles, easy stretches for calves, thighs and shoulders |
| 3 | Towel off. Dry tee on |
| 4 | Sit, swap to dry socks, joggers on over your shorts |
| 5 | Warm layer on last. Wet kit into its own bag. Racket away |
Why this order? Each layer goes on over something dry. The heaviest one goes on last, so it stays dry for the walk to the bar.
Pack your bag in reverse. Wet kit bag at the bottom, then the warm layer, joggers and socks, with the towel and dry tee on top. The first thing you need at minute 3 is the first thing you reach. It saves you emptying the bag onto a wet floor.
For the winter version of all this, with longer warm-ups and the cold-court extras, see our winter padel guide. For the full outfit from arrival to the bar, there's the what to wear for padel guide.
What to wear for the warm-up and the walk off
You want a layer that lets you squat and lunge in it courtside, then comes off fast at minute 2.
The Mk1 Box Hoodie is £75. It's 350 g/m² with a fleeced inside, a loose boxy fit and a drop shoulder, so there's room underneath and space to move your arms. The product page says it runs big: size down for a regular fit, or take your usual size for the full boxy look. At £75 it ships free in the UK on its own.
If you'd rather a zip, the Track Jacket is in our women's range. It's £78, 420 g/m², cropped and loose, with a stand collar. A zip means you can open it halfway through the courtside card and take it off at minute 2 without pulling anything over your head.
The Heavyweight Fleece Joggers are £60, 345 g/m² fleece, with an elastic waist and pockets. They're the minute 4 layer. Hoodie and joggers together come to £135, well over the £75 free UK delivery line.
Two smaller bits for the bag: a spare pair of grip socks (£14) for the swap at minute 4, and an organic ribbed beanie for the walk out on a cold night. Check the size guide before you order anything.
FAQ
How long should a padel warm-up be? The LTA suggests 10 to 15 minutes. If your court is booked by the hour, do the body part courtside before the slot starts, then keep the on-court ball part to about eight minutes.
How long is the warm-up in a competitive padel match? The FIP rules give a 3-minute courtesy rally before the match (Rule 2.2). After a stoppage for rain or light, Rule 2.11 allows no warm-up for up to 5 minutes off, one minute for 5 to 20 minutes, and three minutes for longer.
What exercises should I do before padel? The LTA's list is two minutes of gentle cardio, then 10 reps each of squats, lateral lunges, forward lunges and wall press-ups, plus sprints between the net and back glass if you have the court. Its winter advice adds leg swings, arm rotations and side shuffles.
Do I need a warm-up for a casual game? The LTA's warm-up guide is written for beginners and experienced players alike, because padel is full of side steps, quick starts and sudden stops. A casual game still has all of those.
