Your Serve: How Tennis Can Lead To A Better Life

Tennis Can Make You Healthier - Dmitry Druzhinsky News 

 

Playing a sport like tennis is about much more than just hitting a ball back and forth.  Tennis is a great workout, and can be a major factor in leading a healthy and robust life.  Tennis expert Dmitry Druzhinsky sums it up thus:  “When you play tennis, you engage in a physical activity that isn’t overly demanding, and at the same time, burn calories and reduce your risk of heart disease.  Tennis is something that doesn’t require a lot of equipment or planning, that can be played pretty much anywhere in the world, indoors or outdoors as the weather permits, and can help you get in shape.  It’s win-win!”

True, tennis has many great benefits.  If you’re thinking about taking up a hobby that can be great fun and get you into a healthier life condition, then tennis might be just the thing for you.  Dima Druzhinsky provides the following benefits from playing tennis.

1. Low Impact

Unlike other sports like football, rugby, and lacrosse, tennis is much less physically demanding.  The lack of contact is obviously a factor, but even for sports like basketball and soccer, tennis allows you to work up a good sweat, without requiring you to push your body to its physical limits.  Though there is some heavier knee and ankle impact, the sport itself is fairly easy on your body as a whole, and is great for people who are looking to start getting in shape, or those who can’t take the rigor of heavier sports.

2. Cardio Workout

During a tennis match, you heart rate goes up, and stays up.  This is a great cardio workout, and will help in reducing cholesterol, burn fat, and reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes.  Running after the ball, and using your full body in play is a sturdy exercise that can make a major positive impact on your overall health and well being.

3. Builds and Tones Muscle

More than just burning fat, playing tennis builds and tones muscles, especially those in the legs, arms, and back.  The running back and forth across the court is great for legs, and the strokes of hitting the ball with your racket works out upper and lower arm muscles, as well as those in your mid and lower back.  This activity can help take a flabby body and turn it tight and toned as you play more and more over time.

4. Hand/Eye Coordination

Good hand/eye coordination makes you better at many of the daily tasks that we engage in, from driving to typing to building things.  Tennis refines hand/eye coordination extremely well, as you keep your eye on the ball, and react.  Though other activities aid in this as well, like playing certain video games, tennis is the much better option if what you’re looking to do is get in shape and have fun in the process.  Tennis and health expert Dmitry Druzhinsky states “why sit in front of your T.V. pretending to play tennis, when you can go out and experience the real thing?”