Can tennis be the way to a good weekly exercise routine?

For many people, the biggest challenge of getting fit and losing weight is finding something fun to do. Few people have the self-motivation to go to the gym or perform calisthenics at home, which is partly why so many people get so out of shape. One of the best ways to get motivated to exercise is to take up a sport.

There are many sports that you can do; however, many require that you have a solid background. It is very hard to get involved in football or other team sports later in life, but there are many great opportunities available, even to those who have never excelled in sport.

Tennis is a great choice because it provides a way to improve fitness, strength and coordination, and many tennis clubs have a vibrant social scene. Most tennis clubs have regular evening sessions for adults to play casually, and many couples enjoy pitting their skills against other club members. Clubs also run leader boards with various leagues, and everybody has the opportunity to play competitively, even absolute beginners.

One of the great things about tennis is that when you play people at your own skill level, you all play at a comfortable pace. Tennis is a fun game and because of this you hardly notice that you are actually exercising – this is the biggest benefit of all types of sport. The combination of having fun in a relaxed environment that encourages a little competitiveness means that you get a great workout and can then enjoy a drink and a chat in the members club bar after a game.

Avoid injury

Most people stop playing sport because they start to pick up more injuries over time, and these take longer to heal. This is another problem with playing team sports; captains and team selectors want players who are reliable and after a few injuries somebody will take your place. This does not happen when you are playing tennis because you will always be welcomed back to the club after you recover from an injury. Also, you are less likely to get injured while playing tennis.

To help avoid injury you should ensure that you thoroughly warm up before you play a game. Do some light cardio, such as jogging around the court, followed by some gentle stretching. This ensures that your muscles are warmed up before you start to play and you are less likely to pull or tear a muscle when making a launch for the ball.

For many people, one of the biggest problems with tennis, or any racket sport, is that the hands can become very sore. If you find that your hands start to hurt too much, you may benefit from wearing compression gloves – these help prevent inflammation and give support when and if required. Compression gloves also help to improve blood circulation, which helps to speed recovery time following exercise.

Tennis provides a comprehensive full body workout that exercises all of your muscles, keeps you nimble and supple, and will improve your cardiovascular fitness. It is also excellent fun.

12 Comments on Can tennis be the way to a good weekly exercise routine?

  1. Nice try Dimon but you won’t get 95% of your base to read or comment on this article. It’s about actually playing tennis. You should run this poll just for kicks:

    How many of the readers on Tenngrand have played tennis before?

    1) During this millennium

    2) During the last millennium

    3) Never. Are you kidding? I’m only here because of Rafa’s abs and gluts.

    If your base were honest I would surmise over 90% would pick the last option.

    • filter,

      I have read a number of posts of yours. It is clear that you are intelligent and insightful about tennis.

      Therefore I would suggest you choose to no longer post trolling posts. Instead post comments that share with us your insights without attacking anyone. By doing that you will actually feel much better, and get so much more good stuff back for yourself.

      PS: That would be how I would unpack Ricky’s one-word reply.

      In case you wonder what I understanding of trolling:
      Trolling is but one form of bullying. It is always, despite appearances, cowardly. It is one form of unjustifiable and ultimately ineffective violence (among many). It does not help the audience or target and possibly hurts them, sometimes a lot. Equally importantly, it does NOT actually benefit the bully either, despite beliefs and delusions to the contrary. I heartily recommend anyone to watch the video of the spoken-word poem called Troll by Shane Koyczan. Just search for it.

      • although since the author can be misleading, here is a general rule of thumb: if there is a text-link advertisement in the article, I didn’t write it.

      • chloro says: January 28, 2015 at 2:32 pm
        filter,
        I have read a number of posts of yours. It is clear that you are intelligent and insightful about tennis.
        ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

        You’re being overly generous there, @chloro. @filter is the resident anti-fedal troll.

        He is welcome.

  2. Besides the assumption that Ricky wrote this article, filter’s post makes several claims about 90% or more of everybody who reads tenngrand.

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