Tennis For Two? Or Four?

by Heather Long | More from this Blogger

02 May 2008 09:08 AM

Sound like fun? Tennis can be a great way to dive into springtime fitness because you can do it with a friend, with a spouse, with a friend and a spouse or with the whole family. Tennis courts are pretty accessible, I know a lot of places in my local area that have free tennis courts so all you need to show up with is your racket and some tennis balls.

Not Steffi Graf

I'm not Steffi Graf either, but you don't have to be to enjoy a solid game of tennis. In fact, I think it's more fun when you're all a bunch of amateurs thwacking the ball back and forth. Two things to remember, don't get hit by the ball because it does hurt and don't rely just on your walking shoes to get you through the courts.

Most shoes that are designed for walking or running are designed for forward motion, not side to side. So you might want to check out some new shoes at your local store. That said, even if you don't have a partner, tennis can be fun. You can hit the ball against the backboard or wall and run side to side to keep it going.

Oxygen, Motion, Energy

Tennis utilizes three key features that make a great fitness program. Oxygen is the first, because even if you aren't breathing hard, your breathing will pick up the pace as your heart rate does. You'll need control for your motion as you move from side to side as well as swinging that racket. Be aware of the tension in your arm and don't forget to warm up and cool down that muscle. A friend of mine that likes to solo her tennis ball on the back fence of her place recommends switching arms. Your off hand may never be as strong as your primary hand, but it can help work muscles that you might not otherwise work.

As for the energy portion of this equation, tennis may look like a ball just flying back and forth, but it takes a lot of energy to move laterally across the court and to keep your arm and aim in time. You don't want to hit the ball at the wrong angle (smack one around for a while and you'll get a feel for it) and you want to hit it with enough force to control where it goes so you can hit it again.

Tennis is great for a solo workout, a family workout or just a couple of friends looking to have fun. Fitness should be fun so check out some tennis today.

Interested in some electronic tennis? Check out Wii Can Do It!

Learn more about Heather Long

Heather Long is 35 years old and currently lives in Wylie, Texas. She has been a freelance writer for six years. Her husband and she met while working together at America Online over ten years ago.

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