7 home exercises to help you smash it on the court
You don’t really need to sweat it at a well-equipped gym for hours in order to be fit for badminton. Badminton fitness training can be done anywhere, even at your own home.
First, make sure you stretch before you do any exercise. It might not be the most exciting workout, but it definitely makes a big difference. Improving your flexibility doesn’t just help you avoid injuries, but also builds agility and allows you to lunge further to retrieve shots that might otherwise be out of reach. So, remember to always start with stretches.
After stretching, here are some simple exercises you can try out at home.
Burpees
Burpees are great for targeting your anaerobic fitness because they require energy very rapidly. They are a really effective way to work out your upper body, lower body, and your core at the same time. Burpees also improve co-ordination immensely – one of the key skills that need to be honed to excel at badminton.
Start in a standing position, lower yourself to a push-up position, transition into a low squat, and then complete it with a vertical jump, with your arms raised. Two things that affect the intensity of that workout are the fluidity and the transition speed of the movements.
When it comes to badminton fitness, burpees are widely embraced because they help improve the explosive power a player exhibits on the court, and the co-ordination of total body movement.
Skipping
Surprisingly, skipping rope is one of the most effective exercises you could do to improve your badminton fitness. Did you know that 10 minutes of skipping is as effective as running 1.5 kilometres in 8 minutes? It’s one of the best cardio and HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) exercises you could possibly do. It improves your cardiovascular health incredibly, keeps you on your toes, and improves your footwork, balance, and coordination. Not just that, it also boosts your explosive power.
Start skipping on your toes with both legs. Then, switch to single leg skip. Once you’ve mastered that, you could do alternate leg skips. Just make sure you practice consistently.
Wall Rallies
Here’s a fun exercise which needs nothing but a racquet, a shuttlecock, and a wall – the wall drill. There are many versions of this drill but the simplest one would be simply rallying against the wall, the perfect sparring partner who will never let you catch a break. 500 to 1000 times should be adequate practice. See, badminton fitness training can be fun too!
Did you know that most competitive players can hit the shuttle 1000 times in less that 10 minutes? With a bit of practice, you should be able to ace this exercise. Just remember to bend your knees, pace yourself, and relax your grip.
Shuttle Runs
This footwork exercise is simple and quite effective. It builds your speed and agility, boosts your conditioning fitness, and strengthens the muscles in your lower body.
All you need are 5-6 shuttles. First, you place them in one corner of the room. Each set consists of you running over to the corner, picking them up one by one, moving them to the opposite corner, and repeating the process to return them to the original spot. About 2 to 3 sets are recommended for optimal results.
Box Jumps
If you’re looking to amplify the explosive power in your legs, box jumps are the way to go. All you need is some kind of elevation that you could jump to – a bench, a platform, a box, etc., which is stable and at a comfortable height (about 2 feet). Simply jumping onto the box with your feet hip-width apart could do wonders for your explosive power. You could also try single leg jumps in the same manner to strengthen each leg separately.
Ladder Drills
It’s true. Your timing, coordination, speed, and agility can be improved from the comfort of your own home through footwork exercises like ladder drills. These are great at building co-ordination and speed. Repeating the sequences helps build muscle memory and improves your efficiency incredibly.
In and out, linear run, sidestepping, hops, side straddle hop, carioca, etc., are some sequences you can explore at home. Remember, badminton fitness training is all about your consistency. So, keep at it!
Fast Grip Changes
Changing your grip is a skill you need to master if you want to go a long way in the game. Fast grip changes involve simply switching between backhand and forehand in a fast motion. Although this might seem a bit too ‘simple’, at the highest levels of the game, playing seemingly impossible shots with speed and finesse involves swift grip changes.
So, keep switching between forehand and backhand repeatedly and rapidly. Add some footwork to your routine once you’re able to switch with ease.
See, a few simple exercises performed diligently can strengthen you and amplify your badminton skills. The key to badminton fitness is consistency. You don’t always need fancy equipment to get you to the top.
Well, it looks like you’re all out of excuses! So, get started on your badminton fitness journey today.
Our Suggestion
We believe that exercises are best learnt visually. Although the descriptions are quite extensive, if our audience could view the exercises as a video demonstration, they would have a better idea.
If we can get a coach/student from our institute to create short YouTube videos which demonstrate each exercise, it would truly make a difference. It would also add to our YouTube presence.
