Your kids are grown. Your calendar has breathing room. And suddenly, you’re noticing the stiffness, the shortness of breath, the realization that you’ve spent decades caring for your loved ones while putting your health last.
Welcome to your comeback era.
Women over 50 are discovering racquet sports—Pickleball, Tennis, Badminton, Squash—for the social connection, cardiovascular exercise, mental sharpness, and simple joy of movement. These games offer built-in community. You’re not alone on a treadmill; you’re laughing, competing, and making friends who share similar passions.
But here’s the reality: your body isn’t 25 anymore, and that’s perfectly okay. The key is understanding how racquet sports affect mature bodies—and how to protect yourself while you play. This isn’t about limitations. It’s about playing smart so you can play for years to come.
Understanding Your Body After 50
Let’s be honest: joints are tighter, recovery takes 48-72 hours instead of overnight, and stabilizing muscles have weakened. Post-menopause, bone density decreases too. This isn’t discouraging—it’s empowering information. Knowing these changes means you can work with your body, not against it.
Choosing Your Sport: What Suits Your Body, Mind and Soul
Pickleball: The Gentle Entry Point
Smallest courts, slowest ball speed, short duration of matches. Ideal for rebuilding fitness, social play without extreme intensity. The trade-off? Constant crouching stresses lower back, glutes, and hamstrings.
Tennis: Higher Intensity
Requires explosive movement and overhead serving. Better if you’ve maintained fitness and want cardiovascular challenge. The trade-off? More impact on shoulders, ankles, and knees.
Badminton: The Indoor Option
Fast reflexes. Excellent for those avoiding outdoor heat or harsh court surfaces. The trade-off? Overhead smashes stress shoulders; quick footwork challenges ankles.
Squash: Most Demanding
Enclosed court, constant movement, wall ricochets. Only for those with strong cardiovascular base and joint health. The trade-off? Highest injury risk—intense lunging, pivoting, and collision potential.
My Recommendation: If you haven’t been consistently active, start with Pickleball. Build fitness for 3-6 months, then explore other sports if desired.
Your Body’s “Danger Zones”
Lower Body (All Racquet Sports)
Lower Back Strain: The bent “ready position” forces lower back muscles to work overtime.
- What You’ll Feel: Dull ache worsening after playing, morning stiffness
- Prevention: Daily core strengthening
Hamstring Strains:
- What You’ll Feel: Extreme tightness the next day, difficulty with stairs
- Prevention: Daily stretching routine
Calf & Achilles Issues:
- What You’ll Feel: Sharp pain like a snapped rubber band, or deep achilles tenderness
- Prevention: Never skip calf stretches; keep them flexible throughout the week
Knee Pain:
- What You’ll Feel: Swelling, stiffness, clicking sounds, pain going downstairs
- Prevention: Proper court shoes, strengthen quad muscles, avoid overplaying
Upper Body
Rotator Cuff Strain:
- What You’ll Feel: Deep ache worsening with overhead reaching or night pain
- Prevention: Build shoulder strength gradually; start with gentle serves
Tennis Elbow:
- What You’ll Feel: Outer elbow pain when gripping objects
- Prevention: Hold racquet like a bird—firm but gentle; ensure correct grip size
Wrist Tendinitis:
- What You’ll Feel: Sharp pain when bending wrist or gripping
- Prevention: Focus on proper technique; consider wrist support if needed
The Warm-Up: Non-Negotiable After 50
Brisk walk, leg swings, arm circles and shoulder rolls, torso twists, hip circles and ankle rotations, shadow swings—these aren’t optional extras.
Never skip this. It’s your insurance policy against injury. Think of it as waking up muscles gently, not shocking them into action.
What I’ve Learned at 60: The Recovery Reality
I’m 60, playing regularly with disciplined warm-up and cool-down routines. Here’s what nobody tells you upfront: the warm-up and cool-down are only half the equation.
Even with perfect preparation, my body demands more—regular professional care. Not when something hurts, but as preventive maintenance.
The Fortnightly Reset
Every fortnight, I schedule time with a skilled physiotherapist or experienced massage therapist who understands sports bodies and mature joints.
These sessions work out micro-tensions from repetitive movements. My physio finds tight spots I didn’t know existed—deep hip flexors, small muscles between shoulder blades, stubborn calf knots.
What This Prevents: Mystery aches that suddenly appear. Gradual loss of range of motion. Compensation patterns where you favor one side without realizing it.
Deep Stretching Sessions
Between professional appointments, I do dedicated 20-minute deep stretching weekly—not quick post-game routine, but intentional, held stretches on problem areas.
My advice? Build professional care into your routine from the start. Don’t wait until something hurts. Your body at 50+ needs this recovery support—it’s intelligent self-care, not weakness.
Listen to Your Body—It’s Communicating Wisdom
The biggest adjustment isn’t physical—it’s mental. You remember being athletic and fearless. That person is still inside you, now in a body with decades of lived experience.
Your body isn’t betraying you when it says “slow down.” It’s communicating wisdom. Athletes who play into their 70s and 80s aren’t the most aggressive; they’re the most attuned to their body’s signals.
Pain is information, not failure. Muscle soreness means you’re building strength. Sharp pain means you’re pushing too hard—stop immediately and assess.
Key Reminders
Start hydrating in advance and continue it during the activity.
Progress isn’t linear. Some days feel strong; others feel harder. Hormones, sleep, stress—all affect performance. That’s completely normal at any age, especially after 50.
Community matters more than performance. Women still playing at 70, 80? They loved the game and friendships, not winning. Find your tribe and enjoy the journey together.
Your Comeback Starts Now
Racquet sports offer more than exercise—they offer you a new identity in the society, challenge when life feels routine, and community when social circles shift.
Start slowly. Choose the right sport for your fitness level. Warm up properly. Invest in good equipment. Listen to your body’s wisdom.
Most importantly: give yourself permission to be a beginner. You don’t need to be good immediately. Just show up, move your body, enjoy rediscovering what it feels like to play.
Your comeback era has begun. See you on the court.
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About Author:
Vibha Choudhary is a dual-sport elite athlete and a top-ranked Indian player in Tennis and Pickleball. A former Physical Education teacher with a Post Graduate degree in Physical Science, Vibha combines academic expertise with on-court mastery. She led the Indian Women’s 55+ team at the World Masters Team Championships in 2023, 2024, and 2025. At 60, she is dedicated to helping players of all levels stay active, competitive, and injury-free.
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