If staying fit is important to you, but you find yourself dreading that daily trip to the gym or avoiding your regularly scheduled runs, perhaps it’s time to find a new workout. Health professionals agree that the most successful fitness routines are the ones that include an aspect of fun and offer participants something to look forward to. If you haven’t considered it already, you might be surprised to learn that tennis could be the answer to your workout woes.
Tennis is more than just a game; it’s a high-energy activity that elevates your heart rate, and requires strength and dexterity. As your game improves, so does your health and fitness level. Whether you are new to the game, an old pro interested in rallying again, or have a child who has shown interest—the following are some of the health benefits you will enjoy when you pick up a racquet.
Tennis is a low impact, high-intensity aerobic activity that elevates players’ heart rates through a variety of movements including sprinting, jumping, swinging and crouching. This elevation improves cardiovascular health and endurance over time. Studies show that regular aerobic activity can dramatically increase heart health. In fact, playing tennis for just three hours a week could reduce your risk of developing heart disease by up to 50%.
If you are just starting out and are concerned that you won’t be able to keep up with the pace of the game, don’t be. Tennis is appropriate for players ages five to 105 years old! There are a variety of ways to lower the intensity of the game, including playing doubles, and finding an opponent or a class with players who are at the same level as you.
Weight lifting isn’t the only way to tone and build muscles. Tennis uses all of your basic muscle groups, which undergo contractions, flexing, twitching, and stretching throughout the course of a match. As a weight bearing exercise, you can expect to both build and tone muscles in your arms, shoulders, abs, and legs when you play regularly. All without lifting a single weight!
If you are looking for a real workout that will trim you down, tennis should be on your radar. On average, you can expect to burn between 425 – 600 calories during a match. Sprinting, pivoting and swinging at balls keeps you on the move. Along with improving your cardiovascular health, this sport can help to burn fat and lose weight too.
Playing tennis regularly can help you gain and maintain a large range of motion in both your upper and lower body. The reaching and twisting movements required to serve and return the ball along with running and sprinting after your target, help you increase and sustain your range over time. This is important because decreased range, which occurs with age and lack of movement, increases the risk of muscle and joint injury and can lead to long term damage.
Tennis involves both gross and fine motor activity, control, and coordination as you repeatedly move and position yourself to strike, hit, lob and volley. From head to hand to waist to toe, all parts of your body are working together to maneuver for your best play. At first these movements may feel awkward and clumsy. With practice though, both strength and coordination will improve as your body learns to control and synchronize movements.
Now that you know the health and fitness benefits that playing tennis has to offer, put down that dumbbell and find out how you can get in on the game with our RecTennis programs.