Fitness
Physical Benefits Of Tennis For Active Adults
Active adults are far healthier than their counterparts who are content to remain sedentary and invite the onset of obesity and health problems such as high blood pressure. Tennis is a fantastic form of cardio and promotes heart health. It is a relatively low impact sport that can be played at your own pace and above all, it is great fun and an ideal opportunity to socialize and make new friends. The fact that tennis is a non-contact sport and helps participants mentally and physically means it is a popular choice among active adult communities.
Stamina & Cardio
There is no doubt that playing tennis at a high level can be an exhausting enterprise but for active adults, there is no need to play at 100%. The ideal situation is to find a playing partner with a similar level of skill and fitness and simply concentrate on hitting the ball and moving around. In one hour, you can expect to burn 400-600 calories in a game of singles tennis and the time will fly by! This is in contrast to exercise machines that are not alluring and quite monotonous.
The key is to start off slowly and find a comfortable pace. As you get used to playing, you can up the ante at your leisure and during this process, you will improve your aerobic capabilities, lower your resting heart rate and decrease your blood pressure. Additionally, the exercise will help burn fat and increase your metabolic rate.
Strength & Flexibility
The consistent movement players make during a game of tennis is proven to help improve bone density and this extra strength is vital when it comes to warding off osteoporosis. As you get better at tennis, you’ll find that your hand-eye coordination and balance also improves and this reduces the risk of falls and injury.
The active nature of tennis, coupled with the fact that you need to twist and turn to get yourself in position on the move, means you will become more flexible and less likely to sustain strains and pulls. As tennis involves the use of muscles in the back, arms, shoulders, and legs, it is the equivalent of a full-body workout and this helps to tone and strengthen these muscles.
As you can clearly see, tennis has a myriad of physical benefits for active adults and we have barely mentioned the positive effect it has on mental acuity and stress levels! Instead of staying indoors on a sunny day, get your racket and head to the courts. You’re certain to find a willing playing partner as the popularity of tennis is on the rise.