A Saturday Evening of Fitness with Tennis

The tennis racket that was leaning against the wall for the past few months finally got some use. It seemed to be much useful on the court than as a cheap form of house decoration. Health is becoming important to me and so is the opportunity to meet interesting people. Tennis provides an appropriate balance between fitness and fun so that I can sustain movement toward my fitness goals.

It wasn’t a particularly warm afternoon for Southern California; somewhere near a breezy 60 degrees. A sweatshirt would have been appropriate in most casual outdoor situations. Within a few minutes, you will no longer think about a sweatshirt; or even the outside temperature.

Chasing that green furry ball is all the heat needed to keep warm. Tennis is a fast sport and requires sprinting from one side of the court to the other. The quick dashes, stops, and arm movements  of your muscles, heart and arms.  It is one of those full-body workouts that doesn’t feel like you're doing anything until it is all over.

Accordingly, that is one of the reasons why I like to play tennis. A few competitive games and an hour is up. If there was more time before the sun went down I might have stayed another hour. Because time flew bye we played until the court lights were needed to see anything.

Tennis has its charm as a fun alternative to other workouts that drag on and keep reminding us that we are “working out”. Improving fitness is easy when you engage in activities with enjoyment. Tennis is a social sport that any level player can enjoy. Maintaining an intensive fitness program requires finding alternatives to “traditional” exercises. Tennis seems to fill that gap without all the drudgery of the gym.

Tennis as the New Fitness and Social Sport

Having fun, getting in shape, and meeting interesting people makes for some of the best fitness routines that will keep you on track. Tennis is one sport that helps you stay motivated while expanding your social network.  

Doctors recommend that everyone gets a few hours of high intensity exercise in per week. That won’t be hard to obtain if you find a group that meets a couple of times a week.

Tennis is a highly cardiovascular sport that shreds pounds.  Constant running and stopping will put your heart rate into the target zone improving your blood flow and strengthening your heart.

As a social sport tennis will introduction to lots of new people quickly.  Players rotate to try out new teams and experience new challenges. It won’t take long before you gain some new friends.

There are plenty of places to find tennis activities. You can visit recreation centers and ask about tennis activities, search online for clubs,  or make a call to the city’s recreation department. Tennis groups love new players and helping them gain new skills.

The Benefits and Detractors of Using Ankle and Wrist Weights

Ankle and Wrist weights can add additional pressure to any work out as well as prepare you for greater strength and speed in other sporting arenas. Ankle and wrist weights are great for kenpo, yoga, dance, and movement sports but also come with some additional risks for those engaging in repeated cardio exercise. Ensure you know when and where to wear your extra weights to develop higher levels of fitness activity. 

Extra weight means the body has to work harder to complete activities. Weight increases both muscle gain and the physiological effort required to complete activities.  The body will adjust quickly to the change of effort. When engaging in yoga, kenpo (including other martial arts), or dance this extra weight will strengthen your ability to effectively complete these complex moves when the weights are removed. 

For example, in yoga the extension of the leg or arm may benefit from the extra weight. However, the exercise has little to no negative stress impact and is primarily based on isometrics. This means that the extra weight doesn’t create impact stress on the body by placing additional load on joints and ligaments. When the weights are removed the level of effort is less.

Obviously the extra weight will also raise the cardio benefits of engaging in these activities. The heart rate will increase to pump more blood to ensure that the muscles are fed properly under this new weight. The more activity your heart engages in, the more successful you will be in improving your overall health. 

The downsides occur when completing cardio exercises such as running, walking, and sprinting. According to biomechanical and computer modeling the extra weight quickly increases the risk of injury (1).  It is argued that the risks of permanent injury far outweigh the benefits and should be avoided. 

The problem results when the body engages in the same motion over and over thereby creating repetitive tears in the muscles and prolonged wear on the ligaments and joints. The risks also exist for those who do not use weights but rises substantially when extra weight is applied. If you are adamant about the use of weights during repeat cardio exercises option for the 1-3 pound range (2). 

Using weights provides extra benefits for those engaging in martial arts, dance, yoga, and similar form style sports. The weight will help strengthen the major muscles and require the body to build the tertiary muscles to deal with the extra stress. The fitness gain is beneficial when the form exercises require enough strength to hold one’s position for prolonged periods of time. Avoid using such weights for your general cardio routines to lessen the chance of injury and forced time off of your other activities.