Tennis as A Weight Loss Exercise

Think hitting the gym and running are the only ways to shed pounds? Think twice! You’re not stuck in the same fitness routine to slim down. Tennis is a big hit for those who love being active. It’s a killer exercise that really helps slice through fat and chisel your physique if you stick with it. Playing singles in tennis is like a calorie-burning champion, but doubles tennis isn’t too far behind in helping you zap away those extra inches.

The Number of Calories Expended

A person weighing 70 kilograms may burn 520 calories by playing singles tennis for an hour. A person who weighs 83 kilograms, on the other hand, will burn approximately 622 calories since the more you weigh, the more calories you burn. However, you must be cautious with the activity’s intensity. While playing the game, one must be really active. The more weight you shed, the more you move to make a shot.

How About A Game of Cardio Tennis?

Cardio tennis is a high-intensity fitness program that combines the greatest aspects of tennis with cardio training, running, fitness drills, up-tempo music, and a calorie-burning aerobic workout. According to studies, women may burn up to 500 calories per hour by playing aerobic tennis, whilst males can burn twice as many calories.

Tennis has numerous other advantages.

Tennis enhances hand-eye coordination, bone density, and flexibility, in addition to helping you lose weight and tone your body.

Last but not least

• While playing tennis, use a ball machine for 10-15 minutes to lose weight.
• Warm-up thoroughly before beginning the game; this will allow you to test your body and play without interruption.
• Play the game with only one ball and chase it down every time it leaves the court.
• Eat nutritious foods.

Is Tennis a Good Workout? Everything You Need to Know

Tennis is a great sport to do if you want to enhance your heart health, improve your balance and coordination, burn calories, use every muscle in your body, and have fun while doing it.

Tennis is one of the oldest sports in the world, and it’s a fitness-friendly, ageless classic that you may play for the rest of your life.

Are you ready to see if it’s a good fit for you? Continue reading to discover the advantages of tennis, how many calories it burns, and how to make it a decent workout.

Tennis is A Sort of Workout

Tennis is largely a cardiovascular workout because it raises your heart rate and blood pressure.

It also engages your major lower-body muscles for fast side-to-side and front-to-back motions, as well as your upper body muscles to assist in racket swinging.

Tennis can thus be used as a total-body workout that improves cardiovascular fitness while also increasing muscular endurance and strength.

When You Play Tennis, How Many Calories Do You Burn?

Tennis is a high-intensity cardio sport that burns a lot of calories. Your heart rate rises and you burn more calories after just a few minutes of chasing balls.

Low, moderate, and intense intensity cardiovascular exercise is the most common classification. Singles tennis is classified as a vigorous-intensity activity by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

In 30 minutes of vigorous activity, a 154-pound (69.9-kg) person will burn 220–295 calories.

A 154-pound (69.9-kg) person could burn 660–1,320 calories in a tennis match, which can last anywhere from 90 minutes to nearly 3 hours. However, most people who play for general fitness only play for 60–90 minutes.

Tennis is a physically demanding sport. For every 30 minutes of play, a 154-pound (69.9-kg) person can burn 220–295 calories.

Is Tennis Beneficial to Weight Loss?

Weight loss that is healthy is usually accomplished by a mix of food and exercise.

Regularly partaking in cardiovascular sports like tennis can help you lose weight by creating a calorie deficit. However, studies show that nutrition has a greater impact on weight loss than exercise, so keeping track of how many calories you consume is still important.

When it comes to maintaining your weight, exercise can be very effective. According to some research, exercising after a considerable weight loss is more helpful at preventing weight gain.

The CDC suggests obtaining at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of strenuous aerobic activity per week to maintain your current weight.

If you’re attempting to lose weight, exercising more than this can help you burn more calories, as long as it fits your lifestyle, health, and objectives.

The actual number of minutes needed to lose weight is determined by the exercise, the number of calories consumed, your age, gender, and body size, as well as other factors. Learn more about the link between exercise and weight loss by reading this article.

Tennis, for example, is an aerobic sport that burns calories and can help you lose weight. Exercise, when combined with a calorie-restricted diet, can aid weight loss or maintenance.

Advantages of Playing Tennis

Tennis has numerous other advantages.

Tennis enhances physical strength, endurance, balance, coordination, and agility while also improving cardiovascular fitness. It can also boost social contacts because you need a companion to play a game. Tennis is another sport that anyone of any age can participate in.

Good for the heart

Tennis can provide an excellent cardiovascular workout.

Tennis can be made harder or easier by playing singles or doubles, according to Jasmine Marcus, DPT.

Tennis is also beneficial to your cardiovascular health. People who participated in racket sports experienced a 59 percent reduction in cardiovascular disease mortality and a 47 percent reduction in all-cause mortality, according to one study.

Boosts social interaction

Tennis is a social sport, so you can get some exercise while socializing with your pals.

Regardless of your age, the sport fosters social connection and community. It can lead to increased physical activity throughout one’s life because it is a lifetime sport.

Despite its social aspect, the sport provides ample physical space while being played. This can help to limit the danger of damage from other persons.

“There’s also a low chance of colliding with other players,” Marcus adds. As a result, many people can play tennis for longer periods of time than they can play contact sports like basketball, soccer, or softball.

Improves the function of the musculoskeletal system

Tennis necessitates the use of every muscle in your body.

Tennis players have better upper and lower body musculoskeletal function than non-players, according to a 2019 study. Ligaments, bones, muscles, soft tissues, and tendons make up your musculoskeletal system.

Tennis’ hybrid high-intensity interval training characteristics, according to the researchers, may be to blame.

Improves balance and coordination 

Tennis and other racket sports necessitate a great deal of balance, postural stability, and coordination.

Tennis, for example, necessitates a great deal of lateral mobility, which is uncommon in most people’s daily lives.

You’ll do a lot of forwarding and backward footwork throughout a match, but it’s the side-to-side moves that will test your balance and coordination the most. Furthermore, pursuing a ball necessitates numerous changes in direction, which improves muscle function and balance.

This could explain why tennis has been shown to enhance balance and minimize falls in some studies.

Furthermore, racquet activities like tennis may promote bone and muscle function better than running.

Tennis and other racket sports can help you improve your cardiovascular fitness, musculoskeletal function, balance, and coordination. Tennis promotes social connection and physical activity throughout one’s life.

Tips on How to Get the Most Out of Your Tennis Exercise

There are certain things you can do to make your time on the court more successful if you’re ready to incorporate tennis into your exercise routine.

The best method to learn the correct techniques, according to Benjy Robins, tennis director at CordeValle, is to take private or group lessons from a teaching pro.

Aside from lessons, here are a few pointers for beginner players:

• Different players will be challenged. You can improve by practicing with players at all skill levels, including those who are both more and less advanced than you.
• Never skip a warm-up session. It will enable you to play more effectively and avoid injuries. Prior to playing, focus on a dynamic warmup and save the static stretches for your post-game recovery.
• Make appropriate form a priority. This will lower your risk of damage while also improving your abilities.
• Maintain vigilance. Keep your feet moving and your eyes on the ball at all times. Concentrating on the game could help you perform better.
• Play by yourself or with a friend. You have the option of hitting the ball against a wall or playing with a machine that keeps throwing balls at you. You can also play with a friend.
• Experiment with different surfaces. If you’re having trouble with your joints, try playing on other surfaces. Grass, clay, and hard courts, such as concrete, are the three basic varieties.

Participating in a regular strength training program, according to Marcus, is one method to get the most out of your tennis game while also preventing injury. “Tennis strengthens your heart but has a lesser effect on your skeletal muscles.”

Lifting weights is also beneficial for improving your overall health and lowering your injury risk. Marcus recommends focusing on your arms and legs, particularly your rotator cuffs and the muscles surrounding your knees if you’re a tennis player.

Strength training, good warm-ups, practicing with players of all skill levels, proper form, and lessons can all help you get the most out of your tennis workout.

Last but Not the Least

Tennis is a great cardiovascular workout to include in your fitness regimen.

If you’re new to tennis, try working with a pro who can give you pointers on the court. It’s also a good idea to seek the advice of a personal trainer for cross-training and injury prevention.

Playing doubles or simply hitting a ball against a wall are also good ways to get started in tennis. Before beginning a new activity, consult a doctor if you have any injuries or medical concerns.

If you encounter any pain or discomfort while playing, stop immediately and seek medical advice.

Introduction to Tennis History – Origins and Evolution of Tennis

Tennis, as we know it today, did not look anything like it did when it was first invented in northern France in the 12th century. Instead of using a racket, it whacked a ball with the open palms of the hands. When basic rackets were created in the 16th century, the “royal tennis” (called in France as ” jeu de paume” – the game of palms) turned into a sport that closely resembled contemporary tennis after being accepted by the royalties and nobility of France, England, and several other European territories.

Professional clubs and huge courts sprung up all throughout Europe and the rest of the world as tennis grew in popularity and newly discovered lawnmowers (patented in 1830) allowed tennis courts to be moved to open grass fields.

The “Four Majors” event was founded on the most prominent courts: Wimbledon (1877), the US Open (1881), the French Open (1891), and the Australian Open (1893). (1905). Professional tennis players founded the Davis Cup, a well-known annual competition, in 1900, and the Fed Cup, a more modern competition, in 1963.

Tennis had a reputation as one of the favored sports of upper/middle-class players from its formation until the mid-20th century when commercial forces forced major tennis tournaments to open to both professional and amateur players.

Etymology

Tennis is derived from the French word “tenez,” which is the plural imperative form of the verb tenir (“hold!”, “receive!”, or “take!”). This expression was used by the server to signal to his opponent that he was about to serve the ball across the court.

The word racket comes from the Arabic word “rakhat,” which literally means “palm of the hand.”

Tennis’ Forefathers

Some historians claim that the origins of tennis can be traced back considerably further than currently recognised.

Clues discovered in the ruins of Egyptian, Greek, and Roman civilizations (including written reports in Arabic) indicate that a tennis-like game was played on stone floors and dirt fields.

According to another idea, the term tennis comes from the Egyptian town of Tinnis. However, the majority of historians believe that one actual forerunner of contemporary tennis was formed in 12th century Italy due to a lack of specific proof.

Tennis in its purest form

While Jeu de paume was once referred to as “genuine tennis,” the distinction is now more closely associated with the variant of palm tennis in which players slap the ball across the playing field with rackets.

Real tennis evolved from racket play to become immensely popular in royal courts throughout Europe from the 16th through the mid-nineteenth centuries. Real tennis was so popular among royalty that it was linked to the deaths of King James I of Scotland (assassin), Louis X (exhaustion and acute chill), and Charles VIII (head injury).

Because of the sport’s prominence in France, King Charles IX founded the Corporation of Tennis Professionals in 1571, which included three professional leagues for apprentice, associate, and master level players. This real tennis league’s first recorded rules were published in 1599.

Tennis grew in popularity across Europe during the 17th and first half of the 18th centuries, with the exception of two countries: England, where Puritanism forbade such practice, and France, whose nobility faced pressure from disgruntled commoners.

In the 18th century, England gradually shifted away from actual tennis and toward lawn tennis, which finally evolved into modern tennis.

The Beginnings of Lawn Tennis

The origins of lawn tennis may be traced back to Major Harry Gem of Birmingham, England, who managed to successfully integrate the elements of rackets, the Spanish ball game “plota,” and a croquet lawn playing surface between 1859 and 1865. In 1874, he and his friends founded the first modern tennis club, the Leamington Tennis Club.

With the efforts of British army commander Walter Clopton Wingfield, many characteristics of contemporary tennis were standardized within one to two years. He came up with the basic regulations, as well as the hourglass-shaped playing field. Tennis also fueled the formation of several new clubs and organized competitions at this time.

Lawn tennis (also known as “Wingfield’s game”) was introduced to the United States only a few years later, in 1877.

Biography of Walter Clopton Wingfield

Major Walter Clopton Wingfield (1833-1912) was a well-known Welsh inventor who is regarded as the “Father of Lawn Tennis” and a key contributor in the development of contemporary tennis.

Wingfield returned to England after military engagements in India and China, where he earned the rank of Major and was finally assigned to the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms, which oversees the royal family’s courts (Queen Victoria and her son Edward VII).

During this time, he began experimenting with lawn sports, most notably, attempting to determine if newly invented rubberized balls, which bounced considerably better than commonly used ones, could be merged into the sport of indoor real tennis.

He eventually managed to patent “New and Improved Court for Playing the Ancient Game of Tennis,” which he began promoting under the name “Sphairistikè” in the spring of 1874, with the intention of moving this indoor sport to the flat surface of croquet lawns.

He sold boxes of rubber balls at various courts and competed in exhibition matches in which the primary net between two players was placed at 4 feet 8 inches high and the scoring system granted each player 15 points for a successful “ace.” He sold over 1000 ball sets to English aristocracy in a year, prompting many croquet lawn owners to convert their lawns into tennis courts.

Wingfield lost interest in tennis after his wife suffered mental illness and his three young sons died after only a few years of effectively promoting the game.

The Championships at Wimbledon were the first tournaments held in 1877.

In 1868, the famed Wimbledon courts were founded as a private club that supplied grass and courts for aristocratic croquet players. With the development in popularity of Major Walter Clopton Wingfield’s “lawn” version of indoors genuine tennis, this exclusive club renamed itself “The All England Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club” and began holding yearly tournaments, beginning with the renowned first Wimbledon Championship in 1877.

This significant tournament was significant not just because of the tradition it would establish, but also because of the modified rules it would employ. The main modifications are the distance of the service line, the width of the net posts, and the height of the net itself, which were developed by a Wimbledon tournament official and established the basis of modern tennis. Wimbledon’s courts were relocated in 1922, but the overall layout of the playing grounds remained the same, featuring the famed “central court” surrounded by smaller tennis courts.

Wimbledon began sponsoring Ladies’ Singles and Gentlemen’s Doubles contests in 1884, and Mixed Doubles events in 1913, in addition to men’s singles matches. Wimbledon events were solely attended by top-ranked amateur players until 1968, when the “open era” was created, allowing professionals to compete as well.

Wimbledon is now widely regarded as the best tennis competition in the world.

The Davis Cup is a competition between tennis players.

The Davis Cup tennis event was created in 1899 by four members of the Harvard University tennis team who wanted to see how well British players could compete.

This competition had already begun to develop popularity by the time of the first formal Davis Cup match in 1900, which featured Britain against the United States. Davis Cup attracted national teams from a number of more European countries over the years, with Australia and New Zealand entering in 1914.

The tournament gained worldwide recognition after splitting into several sections (Eastern, American, and two European zones) to better handle the growing number of national teams. In 1972, the competition format was changed to knockout elimination, and in 1981, the modern tiered system of competition was devised. Each year, teams from 12 sub-groups fight for a spot in the main “World Group,” which is made up of teams from the top 16 countries in the world.

Argentina, France, and the United Kingdom are the top three ranked Davis Cup national teams in 2017.

References