As the weather improves, you might be thinking of playing a bit of tennis. Tennis is a very active sport requiring dexterity, strength, and mobility. While necessary for good play, these qualities are lost when you are inactive; and, with the cold winter weather, many of us have lost a step or two over the past few months.
To prepare your body for it’s return to tennis you should focus on some key areas of fitness.
1. Strength
Strength is important for any sport as lack of strength leads to weak play. Shoulder strength is a key for injury-free tennis. The dominant shoulder takes a beating with tennis. Strengthen your shoulders with some sport cord exercises. Focus on the back of the shoulder muscles as these muscles are at a big disadvantage with swinging motions. With a simple sport cord, these are easy to do at home or at the courts. The following video demonstrates a few sport cord exercises.
Hip and ankle strength are vital to your ability to cover the court. Beneficial leg exercises to prepare you for tennis include leg press, toe press, and lunges in all directions (forward, backward and lateral).
When strength training use moderate to heavy weight with slow, controlled motion. Without a doubt improving your strength will improve your ability to play tennis while decreasing your risk for injury.
Strength, mobility, and coordination of lower body movement is vital for you to play your best game of tennis.
2. Mobility and Coordination
Tennis involves quick changes in directions, starts and stops, and ups and downs. To ready yourself for spring tennis, work on your footwork. Warm-up drills such as cariocas, high knees, skips, and line drills, will help shake off the rust and prepare your body for action on the court. A combination of arm and leg movements will give you a complete kinetic workout. The following video provides a few examples of a good pre-game warm-up.
Starting cold on the courts may not only be frustrating and discouraging, but can leave you vulnerable to injury. Don’t be sidelined while your friends are playing tennis. Start now and get physically ready to play. Before a match take 15 minutes to include these warm-up drills on the court.
Disclaimer: The information provided on Baudry Therapy Center ’s website and blog is presented for information and educational purposes only. This general information is not intended to diagnose or treat any medical condition nor to replace diagnosis or treatment by your healthcare professional. Before beginning light or moderate intensity physical activities, we encourage you to talk with your healthcare provider about health and exercise as part of your everyday routine. Baudry Therapy Center and it’s respective agents, heirs, assigns, contractors and employee’s will not be held liable for any injury incurred or exacerbated while performing any exercises, stretches, or any other activity related to the content and information available on this website.
For those in New Orleans the idea of hills and hill training is almost non-existent. Running hills requires a whole different pattern of muscle activation. It requires more strength, power, and muscle endurance. It even requires it’s own training strategies for maximum performance.
