Play Better Pickleball. Move Faster. Stay Off The Injury List.
An 8-Week Strength & Conditioning Program For Players 45+.
Led by a Chiropractor and a Certified Athletic Therapist, this program builds the strength, agility, balance, and rotational power that pickleball actually demands — so you can play more, win more, and hurt less.
Love Pickleball? Then Train For It.
Pickleball is the fastest-growing sport for a reason — it's fun, social, and addictive. But it's also full of quick lateral movements, sudden stops, lunges at the kitchen line, and rotational swings your body may not be prepared for. That's why the vast majority of pickleball injuries happen to players over 50.
Over 8 weeks, you'll build the exact physical qualities the game demands: leg and hip strength for lunging and squatting low at the net, rotational core power for stronger drives and serves, shoulder stability for overheads, agility for those side-to-side scrambles, and the balance and reaction speed that keep you on your feet — not on the injury list. Whether you play twice a week or every day, this program helps you play better and last longer.
Program At A Glance
Who It's For
Why It Works (And What Makes It Different)
Most pickleball injuries don't come from bad luck — they come from bodies that aren't prepared for the game's quick starts, stops, lunges, and rotations. This program trains those exact demands, guided by a Chiropractor and Athletic Therapist who understand both the sport and your body.
- Train the movements pickleball actually uses — lateral shuffles, lunges, rotation, split-steps
- Build strength in the hips, legs, and core that power every shot
- Protect the shoulders, knees, ankles, and Achilles — the most common pickleball trouble spots
- Improve balance and reaction speed to reduce fall risk
- Progress safely week to week, with modifications for your body
The 8-Week Program
Sixteen coached sessions across four progressive phases — each one building on the last, so you finish faster, stronger, and more stable than you started.
- Hip, ankle, and mid-back mobility — the three areas pickleball punishes most
- Foundational strength: squats, hinges, rows, and presses with perfect form
- Core activation and control (dead bugs, planks, anti-rotation work)
- Static balance work and single-leg foundations
- Learn a proper dynamic warm-up you can use before every match
- Loaded lower-body strength: goblet squats, split squats, hip bridges
- Single-leg strength and stability for lunging and reaching shots
- Rotator cuff and shoulder health work to protect your overheads and serves
- Calf and Achilles strengthening — a top injury site for players 45+
- Dynamic balance: controlled reaches, steps, and weight shifts
- Rotational power: medicine ball throws and rotational core training for harder drives
- Lateral agility: band walks, side shuffles, and crossover steps
- Split-step mechanics — the ready position that makes you first to every ball
- Introductory footwork ladders and low-impact plyometrics, scaled to you
- Reactive balance: catching, reaching, and recovering under light challenge
- Change-of-direction and deceleration training — how to stop safely at full speed
- Reaction drills that mimic real rallies and unpredictable shots
- Full-body circuits combining strength, agility, and balance
- Re-testing your key measures from the initial assessment
- Your personalized maintenance plan for keeping the gains going
What's Included
Everything you need to become a stronger, faster, harder-to-injure pickleball player.
- Before-and-after 1-on-1 assessments with Dr. Anthony Ciccarelli, testing strength and flexibility metrics from our Health & Fitness Assessment (your initial assessment happens before the program starts)
- 16 expert-led group sessions over 8 weeks (2 per week, 45 minutes each)
- At-home weekly program design so you keep progressing between sessions
- A pre-game warm-up routine you'll use before every match for the rest of your pickleball life
- Chiropractic and Athletic Therapy-led coaching focused on mobility, strength, agility, balance, and proper technique
As part of the class, we test multiple strength and flexibility metrics from our Health & Fitness Assessment to track your progress in these key areas. These tests are a great way to uncover restrictions and measure improvements in strength and mobility over time — essential skills to support your pickleball on the court.
You'll complete your first assessment 1-on-1 with Dr. Anthony before the program begins, then re-test at the end — so you'll see exactly how far you've come, in real numbers.
Results You Can Expect
By the end of 8 weeks, you'll walk onto the court a different player.
- Quicker to the ball with faster, more confident side-to-side movement
- More power behind your serves, drives, and overheads
- Better balance, faster reactions, and a much lower fall risk
- Stronger legs, hips, core, and shoulders — the muscles pickleball relies on
- Less soreness after games and fewer nagging aches
- The tools to warm up, train, and modify for your body — for good
Meet Your Coaches
Dr. Anthony Ciccarelli
Born and raised in Halifax, Dr. Anthony has been an athlete most of his life and learned early on how chiropractic can be a key factor in optimizing wellness. He's passionate about finding the underlying cause of an injury and applying an evidence-based, patient-centered approach to care — combining ART, manual therapy, clinical acupuncture, education, and exercise prescription.
Liam Toomey, AT
Liam graduated from Acadia University with a Bachelor of Kinesiology in 2023 and earned his CATA certification that same year. He has provided athletic therapy services for the East Hants Penguins Jr B, the Halifax Wanderers U21 FC, and the North American Indigenous Games. Liam takes a holistic, movement-based approach — combining manual therapy, education, and rehab.
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you're probably wondering before you sign up.
What exactly am I booking when I reserve my spot?
You're booking your 1-on-1 chiropractic assessment with Dr. Anthony. That's the starting point for everyone — it's how we understand your body, your history, and what you're working with before the group sessions begin.
From there, we'll place you in the program and confirm your spot in the cohort. So you only need to book that one appointment; we handle the rest.
Do I need to be a good pickleball player to join?
Not at all. This program is about your body, not your rating. Whether you just picked up a paddle last month or you play tournaments, the training scales to you. Everything starts with your 1-on-1 assessment, so your program is built around where you are today — not where anyone else in the group is.
I have a bad knee / shoulder / back. Can I still do this?
In most cases, yes — and honestly, that's a big reason this program exists. Every session is led by a chiropractor and a certified athletic therapist who modify exercises for your specific body. Your initial assessment with Dr. Anthony identifies exactly what needs to be worked around (and what needs to be strengthened). If something needs more attention first, we'll tell you honestly and can treat it at Evolve Integrated Health before you start.
Will this actually make me better at pickleball?
Yes — because pickleball performance at 45+ is mostly a physical-capacity problem. Getting to more balls comes down to first-step quickness and lateral agility. Harder drives come from rotational core power. Winning long rallies comes from leg endurance and being able to stay low. We train each of those directly, then re-test at the end of the program so you can see the improvement in numbers, not just feel.
How does insurance work exactly?
You may be able to use your chiropractic benefits toward this program. Here's how it works:
- You pay the $597 upfront when you register.
- After each session, you receive a chiropractic receipt.
- You submit those receipts to your insurance for reimbursement based on your plan's coverage.
Coverage varies by plan, so we'd recommend checking your extended health benefits for your chiropractic coverage details before you register. Not sure what your plan covers? Book a free strategy session and we're happy to talk it through.
Can I keep playing pickleball during the program?
Absolutely — please do! The program is designed to complement your play, not replace it. You'll actually notice the training showing up in your games within the first few weeks. We'll help you balance training and playing so you're improving without overdoing it, and your new warm-up routine will make every match feel better from the first serve.
What if I miss a session?
Life happens — but because this is a small group program building progressively week over week, we're not able to offer make-up sessions. The good news is your at-home weekly program design means you can still keep moving and stay on track on days you can't make it in. To get the most out of the program, we recommend choosing an 8-week stretch where you can commit to both weekly sessions.
Play The Game You Love For Decades — Not Just Seasons
The players who last aren't the luckiest — they're the most prepared. The next cohort starts Wednesday, September 23 and runs Wed & Fri at 10am — with only 6 spots per group.
Join The Waitlist
Can't make Wednesdays & Fridays at 10am — or worried this cohort will fill up? Tell us what works for you and you'll get first access when we open a cohort that fits.
Evolve Fitness Halifax & Evolve Integrated Health
The Details
- Your 1-on-1 initial assessment with Dr. Anthony must be completed before the program starts (in person or virtual). Both your initial and follow-up assessments take place at Evolve Integrated Health and are included in the program price.
- All 16 group sessions run Wednesdays & Fridays at 10:00am (Sept 23 – Nov 18, with no session on Nov 11 for Remembrance Day) in the gym at Evolve Fitness Halifax — connected to the clinic in the same building — with a maximum of 6 participants per group.
- Receipts are issued after each session for insurance submission. Coverage varies by plan — check your extended health benefits for chiropractic coverage details.
- Participants with medical conditions may be asked to obtain physician clearance before beginning.