The goal of this study was to determine whether a novel badminton-specific square-stepping exercise (bs-SSE) programme could improve dynamic balance, agility, and ankle strength in amateur badminton players. It also examined whether the programme produced greater improvements than usual activity alone.

The main questions it aimed to answer were:

Does an 8-week bs-SSE programme improve dynamic balance in amateur badminton players? Does the programme improve agility and ankle dorsiflexor and plantar flexor strength? Are these improvements greater than those seen in players who continue their usual activity? Researchers compared an experimental group that completed the bs-SSE programme with a control group that maintained their usual activity. Outcomes were measured at baseline, week 4, and week 8 using the Y-Balance Test for dynamic balance, the Agility T-test for agility, and a handheld dynamometer for ankle strength.

Participants in the bs-SSE group showed significant improvements over time in dynamic balance, ankle strength, and agility, while the control group showed minimal non-significant changes. By week 8, both within-group and between-group comparisons favored the experimental group in several balance reach directions, bilateral dorsiflexion and plantarflexion strength, and agility. Post hoc analysis further showed that the intervention effects were most evident between baseline and week 8, with fewer significant differences at week 4.

The findings suggest that the bs-SSE programme is a promising sport-specific training approach for amateur badminton players, with potential benefits for performance enhancement and reduction of sports-related musculoskeletal injury risk.

This study evaluates a novel badminton-specific Square-Stepping Exercise (bs-SSE) protocol developed for amateur badminton players. The intervention was designed to reflect the multidirectional footwork demands of badminton through a structured stepping programme performed on a 2.5 m × 1.0 m mat divided into 40 equal squares. The protocol incorporates forward, backward, lateral, and diagonal stepping patterns adapted from the original Square-Stepping Exercise model and modified to simulate badminton-specific movement sequences. The programme was developed as a practical sport-specific conditioning approach for amateur players who may not otherwise engage in structured supplementary training.

This is a quasi-experimental study conducted over 8 weeks with an intervention group and a control group. Participants in the intervention group complete the bs-SSE programme, while participants in the control group continue their usual activities without additional structured exercise. The intervention is delivered in a standardised format consisting of warm-up, exercise, and cool-down phases. The warm-up uses simple stepping tasks at light intensity, followed by a 30-minute main exercise phase at moderate intensity, and a cool-down at very light intensity. Exercise intensity is guided by percentage of age-predicted maximum heart rate, with the warm-up conducted at 57% to less than 64% HRmax, the main phase at 64% to less than 76% HRmax, and the cool-down below 57% HRmax.

The bs-SSE protocol uses progressive overload by increasing the complexity of stepping patterns over time. Participants perform sequenced multidirectional stepping tasks requiring repeated transitions, controlled foot placement, and lower-limb coordination. The protocol also includes perceptual-motor and cognitive components, as participants are required to observe, learn, recall, and reproduce specific stepping sequences. This integrated design was intended to reflect the coordination and movement control demands associated with badminton footwork. Study assessments are conducted at baseline, week 4, and week 8.

Prior to implementation, the bs-SSE protocol underwent expert content validation and demonstrated excellent content validity, with item-level and scale-level content validity indices of 1.00. The study was approved by the University Research Ethics Committee and is conducted in accordance with institutional ethical requirements and the Declaration of Helsinki. This study is intended to examine the feasibility and value of a structured badminton-specific stepping intervention as a practical training approach for amateur badminton players.

The improvement in dynamic balance and agility is particularly important for badminton performance and injury prevention. Badminton requires rapid multidirectional movement, lunging, recovery steps, and repeated changes in direction, all of which depend on good postural control and neuromuscular coordination. Poor balance and inadequate neuromuscular control increase the likelihood of lower limb injuries, particularly ankle sprains, which are common in badminton players. Therefore, the positive changes observed in the bs-SSE group suggest that the intervention may enhance both performance-related fitness and injury resistance.

These findings are consistent with previous research showing that structured and progressive training interventions can improve agility and lower limb performance in badminton and other court-sport athletes. Training methods that include multidirectional movement, sport-specific demands, resistance exercises, and plyometric components have been shown to enhance agility over an eight-week period. Likewise, high-intensity and sport-specific drills that replicate the accelerations, decelerations, and directional changes of badminton rallies have also produced positive adaptations. The present findings support this evidence and suggest that the bs-SSE protocol was effective because it incorporated agility-based and multidirectional stepping tasks combined with perceptual-motor demands relevant to badminton.

The significant gains in ankle strength are also noteworthy. The ankle joint contributes to propulsion, stability, and movement control during badminton, particularly during rapid direction changes and lunging actions. Muscles such as the gastrocnemius, soleus, tibialis anterior, tibialis posterior, and peroneals play essential roles in these actions and in reducing the risk of ankle injury.

Despite these promising results, several limitations should be considered. The sample was limited to recreational players from a restricted geographical area, which may reduce generalizability. The eight-week duration was sufficient to detect short-term changes, but not long-term effects. Direct measures of badminton performance were also not included. Future studies should incorporate longitudinal designs, biomechanical analysis, injury monitoring, and performance outcomes.

In conclusion, bs-SSE appears to be an effective training intervention for recreational badminton players. It significantly improved dynamic balance, agility, and ankle strength compared with traditional badminton training. These findings support the value of systematic, sport-specific, and integrated physical-cognitive training in badminton and provide a useful basis for future research and practice.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Aged 18 to 40 years
• At least 5 years of singles or doubles badminton experience,
• Playing badminton for 2 to 4 hours per week,
• Understand instructions in English, and
• Cleared through the Exercise Preparticipation Health Screening Questionnaire for Exercise Professionals.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Upper or lower limb injuries within the past 6 months
• Musculoskeletal, Neurological, Visual, Vestibular, Cardiorespiratory, & Cognitive disorders,
• Regular involvement in any other sports other than badminton,
• Current use of analgesics, muscle relaxants, & neuroleptic medication,
• Pregnant
• Had a positive response on Step 2 and any item in Step 3 of the Exercise Preparticipation Health Screening Questionnaire for Exercise Professionals.

All individual participant data (IPD) collected during the trial will be available, including baseline, week 4, and week 8 measurements of dynamic balance (Y-Balance Test), agility (Agility T-test), and ankle strength (handheld dynamometer), as well as relevant demographic and anthropometric data used in the analyses. These data correspond to those reported in the results section of the publication.

The IPD will be made available upon reasonable request to the corresponding author, in line with institutional ethical guidelines and participant consent. Data will be shared in de-identified form to protect participant confidentiality.

The individual participant data (IPD) and supporting documents will be available immediately following publication of the study and will remain available for a period of 5 years after publication.

Individual participant data (IPD) will be shared with qualified researchers, academic institutions, or healthcare professionals who provide a methodologically sound research proposal. Access will be granted for purposes such as secondary analyses, verification of results, or inclusion related to sports science and exercise interventions. Data access requests should be directed to the corresponding author and must include a brief proposal describing the research objectives, methodology, and intended use of the data. Requests will be reviewed by the principal investigator and research team to ensure consistency with the original study objectives, ethical approval, and participant consent. Approved data will be shared via secure electronic transfer, subject to a data use agreement prohibiting redistribution or re-identification of participants.