Tennis is a sport that is loved all over the world because it is really fun to play. As well as being highly entertaining, it is also extremely good for you. When you play a game of tennis you are giving yourself a whole-body workout. Below we are going to have a look at some of the major health benefits of playing tennis.
Improves Cardiovascular Health
Any type of aerobic activity helps to strengthen the heart. Jumping in order to get that perfect swing, running over the court, and chasing down runaway balls are some activities that improve your heart rate when you are playing tennis. When your heart starts to beat more, your breathing becomes faster and deeper, which increases blood flow and oxygen throughout your body. This will help strengthen your cardiovascular system. A study that was carried out back in 2017 revealed that those who take part in racket sports have a 56% less chance of dying from some type of cardiovascular disease.
Helps with Weight Loss
Aerobic exercise not only helps to make your heart stronger, but it can also help you shed the pounds. A study that was carried out in 2012 found that obese women and men who took part in aerobic activities regularly lost a lot more weight over a 10 month period than those who did not, even if they did not make any dietary changes.
Improves Your Range of Motion
The wide variety of movement in tennis such as reaching and swinging are a great way to improve your range of motion. These motions help to lubricate strengthen your muscles and lubricate your joints. However, if you happen to be just starting out in tennis, we recommend that you slowly work your way up to these extravagant movements to avoid injury. Prior to starting your tennis game, you need to warm up to decrease your chances of getting injured and to improve your performance. You should move all your joints in their normal motion so that the blood starts to flow into the muscles that you will be using while playing.
Improves Motor Control
Motor control is the ability and awareness to stabilize one part of the body while moving another. Motor control is very necessary in tennis as you have to swing the racket. At the same time that you are swinging, your core muscles have to work to stabilize your hips and ensure that you do not fall over when you swing. it is not only your legs and arms that can become more coordinated from racket sports - the body rotation, balancing, and reaching that tennis requires can help to stabilize your core.
Lowers the Risk of Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a condition that occurs when the body cannot create new bone at the same rate that old bone is deteriorating, meaning that bones are more brittle and will break easier. This a condition that affects women more than men, and you are at a higher risk as you get older. Now, you might think that exercising more would increase your risk of getting a fracture, but it is actually the opposite. The National Institutes of Health declare that there are plenty of exercises out there that can help prevent this condition. In tennis, every time that you lift your racket, you are going against gravity - the force that is then exerted on all your bones will help them to grow stronger.
Provides You with Social Interaction
You cannot really play tennis alone since lobbing a ball over the net and getting it returned is obviously something that requires a partner. There are a number of benefits from playing with someone else. One of the benefits is that you will get a mental health boost by socialising with your fellow tennis player. Studies that have been carried out have shown that face-to-face interaction decreases the chances of depression, especially in older adults. The social part of a tennis game could also have an impact on your physical health too. Isolation has been linked to cancer and high blood pressure, as well as other serious health risks.