Hot on the heels of the brilliant Aussie Open that has had so many people chatting about tennis, and hopefully picking up their racquets, we asked ourselves, how good is Tennis for us? We might never be able to reproduce some of the tennis as played by Angelique Kerber, or the unstoppable Novak Djokovic – (bad luck Andy!), but getting out on the courts is good for us all!
Top-5 Reasons why Tennis is great!
- Any age! What other sports (maybe Lawn Bowls) has guys and ladies of any age able to impress with some solid ground strokes and clever game plans? The fitness involved is good for people of all ages, the weight-bearing and loading strengthens our bones, as well as a great mix of Aerobic & Anaerobic Exercise: long-rallies versus sprinting to catch that nasty drop-shot! – excellent for fat-burning, training your heart, and managing cholesterol and Blood Pressure levels.
- Exercise without thinking you’re exercising! Lunges and squatting can be boring, as are the Balance and Proprioceptive exercises we are often required to do when rehabilitating injuries: on the court, these are built into the game, and gradually increase in their intensity as your level of play does, counteracting our sedentary lives & keeping our hand-eye co-ordination in check
- Thoracic Mobility: we all spend too long sitting at our desk, generally tending to have slightly Kyphotic posture (bent forwards), and we are often stiff through the middle parts of our back as a result. So remember each time you go up for a lob, do a high ball toss or serve, you’re getting your thoracic extension, and each windup for a groundstroke involves thoracic rotation
- Brain Training: Mouse-pads and ipads… we get lazy! Complex play patterns, particularly in doubles, reacting to different play from opponents, keeping your reflexes quick and your mind trying to stay one step ahead – all beats a mindless run on a treadmill!
- De-Stress! Team Sports, doubles-partners, a leisurely natter over the nets…tennis is great for socialising and mixing with people from all walks of life. What’s not to love about hitting a ball hard, keeping your mind focused on the moment, getting out the days’ stresses from the Rat Race!?
