Warm-up and cool-down for badminton: a simple plan from the BWF manual
What to include before you play, in which order, and how to finish a session, with exercises you can do on court.
Why warm up
The BWF Level 1 Coaches' Manual (2nd edition, 2017, Module 9) gives these reasons: to reduce the chance of injury, increase blood flow and muscle temperature, help skill development, prepare the player mentally and rehearse the skills of a match. It treats the possible parts of a warm-up as a menu, not a fixed list: raise the pulse, mobilise, balance, quickness and agility, knock-up. You choose what suits the session, the space and the people present.
1. Raise the pulse
The manual suggests around 3 to 10 minutes, shorter in a warmer place. Examples: running forwards and backwards on the court while still facing the net; chassé across the width of the court; chassé in a zig-zag towards the net and back. To stay smooth, watch the net tape: if it does not seem to move up and down, your head is staying level.
2. Mobilise
Start with control, then gradually increase speed and range. The manual lists heel raises, heel flicks, walking bows (front leg straight, back flat, chest up), straight leg swings, side leg swings, lunges, squats, trunk twists and side bends with the racket held in both hands.
3. Balance and quickness
Balance work should copy the demands of the sport: leg swings with the head kept still, lunges while the upper body turns or bends, and jumps in sequences such as side to side, landing on the toes then heel. For quickness, the manual proposes short, competitive actions such as "fast feet" in and out of the tramlines on a signal, with a partner.
4. Knock-up
Before a match, a knock-up should let you practise the strokes and movements of your event. The manual says singles should cover the whole court, and doubles should include more hitting from the body and serve-and-return situations.
Cool-down
The manual recommends a steady aerobic activity of 5 to 15 minutes that gradually reduces in intensity, such as a gentle jog slowing to a walk, followed by static stretches held for 15 to 30 seconds. It presents the benefits (less stiffness, slower return of the heart rate, keeping muscles at their usual resting length) as what is "thought" to happen: this is the manual's wording, not a proven result for every player.
Mistakes to avoid
- Starting with maximum-intensity smashes and long lunges while still cold.
- Copying a long list: pick what suits the session.
Limits
This is a description of training practice from one coaching manual, not medical advice. For pain, a past injury or a health condition, ask a doctor or physiotherapist. Our other lesson on injuries and warm-up discusses what the research does and does not show.
General practice advice: play within your limits and stop if something hurts.