America’s most loved racket sport is a great choice for your health. A full-body workout, tennis engages numerous organ systems and muscle groups.
You’ll
feel your heart beat faster, your quads and hips firing, and your competitive side engaged while enjoying time outside with a friend. Here are a few health benefits that tennis has for everyone, both mentally and physically.
Aids Weight Loss
Researchers found that overweight individuals engaging in aerobic exercises five days per week lost significantly more weight than those who just controlled their diet.
You can burn about 100 calories an hour playing tennis, depending on your weight and how intense your game is. To maintain a healthy weight, combine this activity with healthy eating habits.
Cardiovascular Health Support
Aerobic activity of any kind helps make your heart stronger. You can increase your heart rate by jumping for the perfect swing or running down the court to chase runaway balls.
With an increase in your heart rate, your breathing becomes deeper and faster, which in turn increases the oxygen and flow throughout the body, all of which contribute to a stronger cardiovascular system.
Increases Mobility
You can increase your range of motion by using the broad movements of tennis, such as swinging or reaching. These fluid, stretching movements lubricate your joints, strengthen muscles and tendons, and are a great way to increase your range of motion.
To increase flow to the muscles that you will be using on the court, especially your shoulders, knees, and thoracic spine, move your joints in a normal range of motion pre-match.
Balance Improves
For excelling in tennis, a good balance is a must if you’re planning not to topple over every time you lean over for a backhand. You can train your body to keep it balanced while serving and hitting with a racket.
Reduced Osteoporosis Risk
Osteoporosis is a condition in which the growth of bone doesn’t keep pace with the decay of bone. This causes bones to fracture more easily. Most commonly, this condition affects women, and the risk increases as you age.
Although you may think exercise increases the chance of breaking bones, it is the exact opposite. A study by the National Institutes of Health shows that many types of exercise help prevent osteoporosis, especially weight-bearing exercises.
You are working against gravity every time you lift your tennis racquet. The force exerted upon your bones makes them stronger.
Encourages Agility
Who wouldn’t like to be more agile? Tennis’s fancy footwork can make you lighter and more agile.
Tennis isn’t a straight-line game. Players must cover the court. This requires players to move diagonally, forward, back, side-by-side, and side-to-side. Tennis players often change their direction, accelerate or decelerate, as well as stop and start. They must also adjust their vertical positioning to allow for overhead volleys or serves. The constant switching between tennis moves helps the brain and body adapt faster.
