Written by Muskan Gupta |Published : January 20, 2026 2:03 PM IST
Saina Nehwal, a star Indian shuttler who has been out of action for the last two years due to a chronic knee condition, has confirmed her retirement from competitive badminton, saying her body could no longer cope with the physical demands of elite sport. The 2012 London Olympic bronze medallist last played a competitive match at the Singapore Open in 2023, but did not formally announce her retirement at the time.
"I had stopped playing two years back. I actually felt that I entered the sport on my own terms and left on my own terms, so there was no need to announce it," Saina said on a podcast. Beneath this high-performance career is this universal challenge that plagues most elite athletes upon retirement: how to remain healthy and fit even after the end of their picture-perfect careers, when their injured bodies cannot move as well as they used to.
Let us know how professional athletes can transition to less vigorous activities that keep them busy without risking their future well-being:
Low-impact exercises refer to activities that exert very little pressure on joints since at times there is no movement of the feet, and in other cases, the body is held in water or equipment. They come in particularly handy with individuals having knee-related problems, arthritis, or those who have suffered a joint injury in the past. These exercises retain a significant number of benefits of a typical exercise, including increased heart health, strength, flexibility, and balance in the process, but with less chance of causing pain or additional harm.
Water helps in supporting the weight of the body; hence, swimming and aqua-aerobic exercise are safe on the joints and involve the entire body. They are also very good at cardiovascular conditioning and the development of muscular endurance without sharp knee impacts.
Riding a bike is another exercise that is good for strengthening the leg muscles the quads and hamstrings that hold the knee up. It is also mobility-promoting and minimally joint-load cardiovascular fitness-enhancing.
These are disciplines that specialise in controlled movements, flexibility, balance, and core strength. They can make oneself tighter, relieve soreness in joints, and promote body sensitivity.
An elliptical machine simulates walking and running by having no impact of contacting hard ground. This assists in keeping fit aerobically as well as preserving knee joints.
Harmless walking exercises or no-rush Tai Chi are the best to keep one active on a day-to-day basis. They are also mobile and beneficial in providing mental wellness.
In the case of an athlete who needs to go through elite sport and post-competitive life, it is all about balance and adaptation. Performance outcomes are no longer the aim of the training, but quality of life and longevity are.
Saina Nehwal has been among the most successful badminton players in India ever. She is an Indian woman who came up as one of the prodigies in the early 2000s when she won her first Olympic medal in the badminton event with a bronze at the 2012. She won several medals in the course of her career at the World Championships and Commonwealth Games and spent several years at the top in the world to have Indian badminton on the international radar.
Disclaimer: The content on TheHealthSite.com is only for informational purposes. It is not at all professional medical advice. Always consult your doctor or a healthcare specialist for any questions regarding your health or a medical condition.
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