Best Exercises for Badminton Players
Badminton Training 101 — BODY CONDITIONING
Frantic jumps, swift changes in direction, deep dives & lunges — badminton is a ruthless game where your body has to constantly & consistently stay on track. You have to focus on the shuttle and also on spatial awareness and reaction time. That’s why fitness, mobility and flexibility play a very important role in your performance. Depending on the level of complexity of the game, almost every joint of the body may be involved during different parts of the game. So working on your off-court training will significantly improve your game.
Body conditioning is fundamental to every sport. For badminton too, players are required to have strong core muscles and build up quadriceps so they can lunge forward or backwards to retrieve the shot. It is the first step on the path to improving your performance.
WHAT is body conditioning?
Body conditioning is a broad term that refers to the overall training involving exercise and other physical activities for a full-body workout. These exercises activate the whole body and also use major muscle groups to strengthen, shape, and tone your muscles. This could involve multiple regimes for flexibility, strength and resistance training.
WHY should I do it?
Players who work on aerobics and fitness can play for longer and do tougher moves without experiencing exhaustion. A less fit player would face the weakness of becoming tired faster. This could lead to more mistakes or missed shots. Badminton is a heavily aerobic activity.
WHEN should I do it?
Body conditioning exercises range in intensity and duration. They can be incorporated into pre-game warmups as well as off-court cardio and strength training sessions. A mix of short & long sessions will give you the best results.
HOW to go about it?
Body conditioning is inclusive of various regimens of exercise, diet and rest designed as per a player’s requirements and fitness level. Cardio training or exercises that increase your heart rate and blood flow and make your muscles flex are the major focus here.
Here are some of the common exercises that target major muscle groups.
- Squats
- Mountain climbers
- Box jumps
- Burpees
- Lateral lunges
- Variations in push-ups
(to be done in sets as per individual fitness level)
These are basic moves that help improve your strength for better footwork while playing. They are used in footwork drills too. All you need is a space to exercise and a pair of badminton shoes.
Are you ready to work on your badminton performance? Check out the LiNing Badminton store to redefine your experience.
