Across the globe, tennis is one of the most popular sports. Moreover, the court-based game is also the chosen practice of world-renowned stars, such as Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. Having helped to propel tennis to new heights throughout the past two decades, participation figures rose by 0.9 percent in 2019 to 17.84 million players, according to SGB Media. So, with more people opting to get onto the court, let’s take a look at some of the health advantages of playing tennis.
Table of Contents
Enhance Muscle Strength
There can be no doubt that tennis is arguably the most physically demanding individual sport within a singles format. Because of that, it’s pivotal to success, particularly among professional athletes, to be at the top of your game. Intriguingly, in practicing on-court techniques, participants are also developing their bodies from a fitness standpoint.
As a result of the sport’s back-and-forth nature, playing at any level is a superb way of stimulating muscle movement. In having to quickly cover the ground to return shots, this explosive movement is highly beneficial to leg muscles, helping them to become stronger. Moreover, as tennis rackets themselves are light, the action of playing a shot requires upper-body strength. In turn, the longer that participants spend on a tennis court, the more noticeable the results become regarding physical movement and power.
Improved Stamina
As touched upon above, the physical demands of tennis are unrivaled by many other sports. Due to this, consistent participation will improve stamina. According to a report by Sheffield Hallam University, the average rally lasts for five to seven seconds, meaning that players are subject to a high-intensity workout over short periods of time.
In this regard, tennis is unlike other activities as it’s heavily reliant on aerobic and anaerobic training. Crucially, as per WTA Tennis, playing for around three hours a week can reduce the risk of heart disease by over 50 percent. Although achieving the stamina levels of Novak Djokovic, who is currently +300 with tennis betting to win the 2020 French Open, as of August 28th, progression can be made with dedication. From a health perspective, enhancing anaerobic capabilities will likely transfer to other activities, such as sprinting, where explosive movements are required.
Mental Advantages
While people will likely look at tennis in relation to its physical health benefits, the sport’s mental advantages shouldn’t be overlooked. Because of tennis’ single participant format, going out onto the court presents players with time to themselves. As a result, the competitive side of the sport will help participants to process defeats and success in a healthy manner. Outside of tennis, the ability to overcome adversity is pivotal in living a healthy, goal-driven life.
Furthermore, tennis can also help to improve critical thinking and problem-solving. In many ways, your opponent is a puzzle that needs to be solved. The sport focuses on angles, geometry, and physics, which are all core components of tennis. Through harnessing the sport’s science, players will likely to be able to find ways to overcome their opponents.
Try Something New and Give Tennis a Chance
There’s no ignoring the fact that tennis is hard work. Moreover, the better you become both aerobically and technically, the more difficult it becomes. However, that’s ultimately the sport’s appeal. Tennis’ physically-demanding nature helps with personal growth as it possesses a wide array of health benefits. Because of that, embracing the game’s demands can result is noticeable health improvements.
