tennis for HEALTH

Tennis demands that you make many short, muscular bursts of movement, having a similar effect to sprinting, and interval training. This triggers the quick twitch muscles and reflexes in the body, while also enhancing the exchange of oxygen between the lungs and the blood.

Tennis can help you develop the stamina of a regular jogger and all the benefits that go with it, from fat burning to increased energy levels. Competitive tennis actually burns more calories than aerobics or cycling.

Tennis is the ultimate total body workout: from the leg muscles pushing off the ground, to the rotating core/torso, and relaxed muscular movements of the arms. Every cell will be become involved as your technique improves.

This will all improve as you learn to control yourself, and the racket whilst negotiating the countless stops, starts and changes in direction that make up a rally or a point.

will become more natural and spontaneous, as you constantly calculate and re-calculate the space and time between you and the oncoming ball.

30 to 60 minutes of sweating every day, or as often as possible, will improve circulation and help rid the body of unwanted toxins.

30 to 60 minutes of sunshine as often as possible is a great top up of this vital nutrient. Maybe not possible in the UK.

Tennis forces your whole body to work as one synchronized vessel and will re-wire you to do so. The spontaneous and dynamic nature of tennis will help to fire new pathways between the brain, nervous system and body, reconnecting the mind and body. First it fires, then if we persist it wires, and a new pathway is formed… you can teach an old dog new tricks!

Tennis will help you develop self-discipline and patience, while you assimilate the automatic nature of each stroke. Only through focused, dedicated repetition and practice will you be able to download the sensory information to feel the ball naturally and without too much thought or mental interference in the end. A quiet, disciplined mind, free of reactions and judgments will aid this process.

Nothing can survive or flourish in the shadow of negativity, frustration, tension, doubts or any other form of fear, so a relentlessly positive attitude should be developed for you to improve and fulfil your tennis potential.

To win and lose graciously… to compete, run, and try our hardest, and to be able to simply relax and enjoy the feelings, without gloating or sulking for too long over the result or our performance.

Can you quieten your mind whenever and wherever you need to? Can you give your mind an hour off? Tennis can help you switch off to the demands of others and your own mind. Let the simple process of breathing and watching and moving in time with the ball consume you… Let the silence and the moment grow around you until everything becomes a little clearer and a little more serene.

Tennis can be stimulating in many ways, whether you like the rush of competition… a little laughter and light-hearted fun with friends… a dynamic cardio train-up… or maybe a peaceful meditative Zen tennis practise.