Badminton is quite possibly one of the best sports out there. It makes you run, move around, work on your limbs, your core, and your cardiovascular strength as well. The best part about it is, you do not even know it as you play it! Given the current situation, you must not have stepped out for months! It can be very taxing to your mental and physical health to be holed up in your homes for months on end without having any physical movement as such. But now that there are relaxations across the country, you can go out while taking safety precautions, of course!

Badminton is one such sportwhere it complies with the social distancing norms, making it a great sport toplay under such circumstances. With the right badminton accessories, you can even practice exercises at home! In this article, you will learn about the various badminton exercises you could practice at home. If you are new to the sport, read up on how you should grip a badminton racket, and what the forehand/backhand grip is. Basics of badminton will help you understand the kind of movement required to play the sport.

To start off, you need to warm up before any exercise. Skipping is the best form of the warm-up as it keeps you on your toes. This is highly important while playing badminton as well.The coordination between your hands and legs is one of the important skills required to play the sport. If you do not have a skipping rope, you can always do a ten to a fifteen-minute cardio workout. Any exercise that gets your heart pumping would be beneficial for you.

1. Hitting against the wall

This may seem challenging at first, but it is a great practice for you to begin with if you are new tobadminton.  

First, you position yourselfrightly against a wall and serve as if you are serving a person. It isrecommended to bend your knees so that you have a better reflex. And as youkeep repeatedly hit the shuttle against the wall, ensure you are going back andforth and sideways just like you would at a badminton court. This allows you toget the feel of what it would be like to compete with an actual person incourt.

2. Shadow

Shadow of footwork exercises stresses on your endurance and speed. Badminton requires a lot of leg movement. You may have to run almost all around to make sure you hit that shuttle rightly. You need to push yourself and build enough strength to be able to move around effortlessly. There are three ways you can practice shadow exercises:

  • Smash and tap
  • Side to side defence
  • Front corner lifting

3. Picking Up the Shuttle

This exercise is sure to build your endurance.

  •  Take about 6 shuttles. Put 5 shuttles at one corner and 1 other to mark your centre.
  •  Then you keep going back and forth as you pick one shuttle and put them in a corner and then put it back to its original place.

4. Racket Swing  

This exercise focuses on your hand and wrist strength. The swiftness of your hands and wrists is crucial to the game. It is necessary to be able to move your hands as efficiently as you can, and this exercise provides you with the same speed and strength required. To practice this exercise, you will need a heavy racket or a regular racket that can work as well. Here are three ways you can practice racketswings

  • Stationary Smashing: Here, you imagine the highest point, and if you have your racket in your right hand, you step forward with the right leg and swing at full strength.
  • Stationary defence: Step forward as you lift or tap and take all your shots at the front 
  • Frontwrist work: As you serve, bring it in downwards motion while keeping swinging your racket gently

5. Fast Feet Agility Exercise

This exercise requires abigger space, a distance of at least 15-20 meters.

  • Open close: Bring yourself in a semi-squat position, bend your knees, and stay on your toes.
  • Sprints: Sprint from one end to the other
  • Lunges: As you complete a lunge, you walk ahead and do it with the other leg.
  • Shuffle and leap: Small hop twice and take a giant leap at the third hop.

6. Body Circuit Exercise

These exercises help you develop your overall physical strength. You can integrate these exercises intoyour daily workout routine as well. These exercises strengthen your core and various other muscles. Not to mention, they also maintain cardiovascular health.

  • The high knee jumps: Jump as high as you can while your knee touches your chest
  • Burpees: Builds your muscle as well as core strength
  • Jumping lunges: Similar to lunges, but as you finish one set, you will have to jump into position for the other.
  • Knee touches elbows: Stand and raise your right knee and touch your left elbow to it and vice versa.
  • Leg lift: Sit down with your legs in front of you, and lift your legs off the ground
  • Pushups: You surely must know how to do this  
  • Side to Side twist: Sit down and put your legs in front of you with a little gap between them and slightly bent at the knees. Twist as much as you can from side to side

These exercises are sure to make you a pro in no time!

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