Who knew? Tennis is 1 of the champion total-body workouts you tin get.
"It's a high-intensity interval grooming workout that burns betwixt 400 and 1,000 calories an hour," says Mark Kovacs, PhD. He's the enforcement manager of the International Tennis Performance Association.
It's besides an ace for strength training. "Tennis play uses astir each musculus successful the body," Kovacs says. That includes your little body, precocious body, and core. Playing tennis 2 to 3 times a week besides boosts your stamina, coordination, and bony density. Did we notation flexibility, balance, speed, and agility?
Good signifier and due method volition amended your crippled arsenic good arsenic support injuries astatine bay.
Warm up. Before you play, bash a fewer sets of jumping jacks oregon 3 to 5 minutes of walking oregon jogging. Then bash a fewer slow, controlled movements, taking your joints and muscles done a afloat scope of motion.
Balance it out. Remember to crook your knees. Don't overarch your backmost erstwhile you serve.
Bottoms up. The vigor of your stroke comes from the crushed up. As you bring your racket up, you're transferring vigor to the ball.
Wear a heart-rate monitor. Set a people bosom complaint and effort to support it supra that fig passim play. About 140 beats per infinitesimal is simply a bully fig to purpose for, whether you're a beginner oregon much advanced.
Take Advantage
Gear up with due equipment, says Kovacs. The close worldly volition assistance you debar communal tennis injuries.
Sneak up. Look for sneakers made conscionable for tennis. A bully brace tin ward disconnected ankle injuries. They enactment your bottommost truthful your ankle doesn't roll. For other support, effort padded tennis socks.
Size it up. Go to a specialty tennis store to get fitted for the close racquet. If your racquet is excessively airy oregon excessively heavy, you whitethorn extremity up with shoulder and elbow injuries. The incorrect grip size oregon drawstring hostility tin spell occupation for your wrists and arms.
Stay dry. Sweaty hands tin pb to blisters, truthful adust the grip connected your racquet arsenic you play. Keep your feet adust by wearing socks made from synthetic cloth alternatively of cotton.
Be picky astir your court. It's champion to instrumentality with softer courts. If you can't, gaffe bottommost inserts into your shoes. They'll assistance sorb the shock.
Expert Tip
"When playing tennis, tally betwixt games erstwhile you alteration ends of the court. This is simply a 90-second play that occurs each 10 to 15 minutes during tennis play. It tin summation the fig of calories burned by 10% to 20%." -- Mark Kovacs, PhD, FACSM