Benefits of Tennis

TENNIS – ADDING YEARS TO YOUR LIFE, AND LIFE TO YOUR YEARS!

 

There are many opportunities for people of all ages to get into tennis and continue to play the sport. Tennis is one of the only sports you can play all your life, from the youngest ages to the oldest. Tennis can be the answer to virtually any type of issue. Want to lose weight? Want to get in better shape and tone muscles? Want to keep your mind sharp and reduce stress? Want to make more friends and expand your social network? Think tennis.

The bottom line: Tennis is not only the sport for a lifetime, but it’s the sport for a longer, healthier and more complete lifetime.

 

Physical Benefits

Play 3 hours of tennis a week and you’ll cut your risk of death in half from any cause, according to a Harvard University study of 10,000 people during a 20-year period.

  • Tennis Burns Calories: An hour of singles can burn 580 to 870 calories, depending on your weight, says the Mayo Clinic.
  • Tennis Keeps Your Heart Healthy: The Cleveland Clinic says tennis is “an ideal sport for a healthy heart.” And a Johns Hopkins study showed that middle-aged men who played tennis – more than any other activity – had a significantly lower incidence of cardiovascular disease as they aged.
  • Tennis Develops, Tones and Strengthens Muscles: Constant movement works out both your upper and lower body.
  • Tennis Increases Bone Strength and Density: No matter what your age, weight-bearing activities like tennis are important for bone health, according to the National Institute of Health.
  • Tennis Improves Flexibility: When you play tennis, you’re working all your limbs, joints and muscles. An expert panel at ESPN ranked tennis in the top 12 out of 600 sports in terms of flexibility.
  • Tennis Improves Balance, Coordination and Reaction Time:  By moving then adjusting to hit the ball, tennis helps general body coordination, and by constantly judging the timing of the ball, it improved hand-eye coordination.

 

Mental Benefits

Since tennis requires alertness and tactical thinking, it may generate new connections between nerves in the brain and thus promote a lifetime of continuing development of the brain, according to scientists at the University of Illinois.

  • Tennis Develops Your Mind: The sport requires critical thinking and problem solving. Tennis keeps your brain active.
  • Tennis Helps Develop a Work Ethic:By improving through lessons and practice, tennis reinforces the value of hard work.
  • Tennis Develops Self-Discipline: Regular practice keeps you disciplined in your approach to improvement.
  • Tennis Helps in Managing Mistakes:Being able to move past mistakes is critical, whether in tennis or in life.
  • Tennis Helps in Problem-Solving and Managing Adversity: Players need to figure the angles, geometry and physics, while also adjusting constantly to match conditions.
  • Tennis Helps to Manage and Reduce Stress: With the physical, mental and emotional challenges tennis presents, you’ll increase your capacity to deal with stress.

 

Social Benefits

Tennis outperforms all other sports in developing positive personality characteristics and physical fitness development, according to Dr Jim Gavin of Concordia University, the author of The Exercise Habit.

  • Tennis Develops Social Skills: You play with others both across the net and on teams and in leagues. For players of all ages and abilities you can make new friends and expand your social network.
  • Tennis Time is Great Family Time: It’s a great sport that the whole family can enjoy together.
  • Tennis Develops Teamwork: Whether it’s playing on a doubles team, or on a league or school team, tennis helps develop your ability to communicate and work together.
  • Tennis Teaches Sportsmanship: You learn to compete and play fairly with others.
  • Tennis Improves Your Self-Image: Tennis players scored higher in vigour, optimism and self-esteem while scoring lower in depression, anger, confusion, anxiety and tension than other athletes or non-athletes, according to a Southern Connecticut State University study.

 

From Tennis Industry, June 2015.

Special thanks to Dr Jack Groppel and his “34 Reasons to Play Tennis” on usta.com.