The Top 6 Health Benefits of Playing Tennis
Tennis is one of those trickster sports that never seems like a serious workout, but actually is a complete full-body exercise that combines all the various elements of cardio, strength training, hand-eye-coordination, and flexibility into one perfect aerobic activity.
At ACAC, tennis is one of our favorite racquet sports and ultimate choice in exercise for people who aren’t fans of the traditional workout routine. It engages multiple muscle groups – both major and minor, is the perfect social activity, and can be played at nearly any age!
To understand more about why we’re obsessed with this all-season’s sport and learn how you can book a tennis court at one of our ACAC gym locations, keep reading! We’re breaking it all down for you in our list of top 6 health benefits of playing tennis.
6 Health Benefits of Playing Tennis
1.) Increases Range of Motion
As tennis involves broad, repetitive movements, like swinging, extending, and striking, it’s one of the best sports for increasing your range of motion. Not only does this help with strengthening muscles, it also lubricates the joints, increases blood flow, and stretches your body like no other sport.
ACAC Tip – to reduce the risk of injury and enhance your performance, make sure to always warm up before a match with a quick cardio session, such as jumping jacks, standing jog, or dance!
2.) Supports Cardiovascular Health
Tennis is an aerobic activity, which means it is designed to raise your heart rate and utilize oxygen, making it a great option for anyone trying to lose weight, lower stress, or expand their lung capacity.
To reap the cardiovascular benefits of tennis, you don’t even need to play a strenuous game. As it involves so much shifting back-and-forth and continuous arm swings, a 15-30-minute game should be a great cardio workout for most people!
3.) Stress Relief
It’s the old saying: with great workouts, come great sleep sessions? That’s what we say, anyways.
Exercise of all kinds, but specifically a complete full-body workout like tennis, can help to lower the stress hormone, cortisol, and improve your mood, by releasing feel-good endorphins. You also might notice that you sleep better at night after a good game of tennis– another added benefit that helps to regulate stress hormones.
4.) Helps Aid in Weight Loss
Cardio is one of the best ways to lose weight, but can often be intimidating for those who don’t love the treadmill or spinning bike, which is why we always recommend incorporating tennis as it is an easy, fun aerobic activity that doesn’t feel stressful.
To learn the best strategies for weight loss, we always recommend speaking to one of our certified personal trainers who can offer you a customized nutrition and workout plan for your specific needs!
5.) Improves Balance & Agility
Now, we’re not saying you have to be Martina Navratilova to reap the full benefits of a tennis match, but as there is a lot of strategy to footwork and training your body to maintain its equilibrium, it’s one of the best sports to improve your balance and agility!
6.) Provides Social Interaction
Tennis is one of the best social sports you can play as it requires you to constantly be anticipating your partner’s next moves! Especially in a post-Covid 19 world, though, social interaction is something I think we can all agree that we need more of. Research has shown that increased social interactions can lead to a decrease in cancer, blood pressure, heart disease, and more!
Become a Stronger, Healthier You at ACAC!
Whether you’re already the Serena Williams of your friend-group or you’re looking to advance your tennis skills and get a bit healthier, the dedicated team at ACAC is here to help!
Use our member portal, ACAC app, or give your local location a call and we can help you book a court. The road to a stronger, healthier you is just one visit away!
Join today to experience the ACAC difference!