Is Pickleball Bad for Your Knees? The Honest Answer

First, What Does the Research Actually Say?

There is proper research on this now, which is more than you can say for most sports that are three years into a boom.

A 2025 study of recreational pickleball players found that the knee was the most commonly injured body part, accounting for 23.3% of all reported injuries — ahead of the elbow, shoulder, and everything else. (USA Pickleball) So yes, your knees are taking on more than their fair share.

But here's the context that usually gets left out: because pickleball is considered a less physically demanding sport than most, players often underestimate the injury risk and skip warming up or taking basic precautions. (YouTube) In other words, the problem isn't always the sport — it's the overconfidence.

The most common injuries are driven by the agility and rapid directional changes the game demands. (The Dink) All that darting, stopping, and pivoting adds up. Especially if you're playing four times a week because you've completely lost the plot over how fun it is.

The Older You Are, the More This Applies

Over a 20-year study period, players aged 60 and over represented 74% of all pickleball-related emergency department visits, primarily sustaining fractures. (The Dink) That's not a reason to stop — it's a reason to be sensible.

Younger players tend to get soft tissue injuries, while older players are more likely to sustain fractures or joint trauma when things go wrong. (Pickleball England) The mechanisms are different, but the prevention advice is largely the same: warm up, use proper footwear, and don't pretend you're 25 when you're not.

So Is Pickleball Bad for Your Knees?

Not inherently, no. While sudden twists, quick stops, and overuse can contribute to knee injuries, pickleball remains a genuinely beneficial way to boost heart health, build muscular strength, and stay socially connected — and you don't need to let fear of injury hold you back. (The Pickleball Store)

The sport is lower impact than tennis, easier on the joints than running, and the court is small enough that you're not covering marathon distances. The risk is real but manageable — and it's mostly manageable by doing a few straightforward things consistently.

How to Actually Protect Your Knees

Warm up. Properly. Every time.

Spend 10–15 minutes on dynamic stretches and light cardio before you play — leg swings, plank walkouts, lunges. (CJdropshipping) Not a quick wiggle and straight onto the court. An actual warm-up.

Get the right shoes

Invest in pickleball-specific shoes with excellent lateral support — they're designed for the quick sideways movements the game demands and help absorb the shock that would otherwise go straight into your knee joints. (BuckyDrop) Your old running trainers are not the same thing. Court shoes exist for a reason.

Sort your form

Keep a slight bend in your knees throughout play to absorb shock, maintain balance with your weight distributed evenly across both legs, and focus on efficient footwork — avoiding sudden jerky movements that strain your ligaments. (BuckyDrop) It sounds basic. Most people don't do it.

Build the muscles around the knee

Strong quadriceps and hamstrings provide far better support to your knee joints — squats, lunges, and leg presses are all worth adding to your week if you're playing regularly. (BuckyDrop) The stronger the scaffolding, the more the joint is protected.

Know when to ease off

If pain lasts more than a week, gets worse with activity, or starts limiting how you move, that's the point to get it looked at professionally — not the point to play through it and hope for the best. (SourcinBox)

The Verdict

Pickleball isn't bad for your knees. Playing it recklessly, without warming up, in the wrong shoes, five days a week after years of not exercising — that can be bad for your knees. The sport itself is one of the more joint-friendly options out there.

Treat your body like it matters and you'll be on court for years. Ignore all of the above and, well, you'll find out the hard way.

Now go find a court and play — carefully.