Lawn Tennis Benefits and Cautions
Great Game, But Shape Up First
Tennis is a fun activity that can challenge your heart and develop your
muscles if you play it long enough and hard enough. But it's not
considered an aerobic sport. Get in shape before you play because tennis
is a demanding game, especially if you're a skilled singles player with
a well-matched opponent. Tennis requires stamina, speed and strength.
Mixed with aerobic activities like running or cycling, tennis is a
wonderful way to move down the road to fitness.
Most Common Injuries
Tennis involves quick starts and stops. That puts extra stress on joints
and ligaments, which can be a problem, especially for older players.
Tennis elbow is a painful, common and, in many cases, preventable
problem. Like all overuse injuries, it usually results from doing too
much too soon with muscles that aren't strong enough or flexible enough
to take the strain. Fast-action court games also can aggravate back
problems.
Cost And Convenience
Court time can cost money, and sometimes getting the right time on the
right day with the right partner can be a hassle. But it's all worth it
if you love the game.
More Focus, Less Stress
With some sports, like running or swimming, once you get the rhythm
going, your mind can wander. But not tennis. It requires complete focus
and concentration. Indeed, bashing a little ball around the court is
great for reducing stress and tension because when you're focused on
playing you're freed from thinking about day-to-day concerns.
Which Racquet Sport Is For You?
Tennis is probably the most difficult racquet sport to master and, until you're skilled, offers the least exercise. Racquetball is the easiest to learn and play. It's fast-paced and a great way to have fun and release tension. Squash is a fast and furious game, similar to racquetball except you play on a smaller court with a long-handled, smaller racquet and a much-less-bouncy ball. Squash is easy to learn but as tough to master as tennis, and finding a court is much harder.( This article is taken from
http://tms.ecol.net/fitness/tenspros.htm)
Psychological Benefits of Tennis
For most tennis players, sport psychology is viewed as providing a competitive advantage through performance enhancement, coping strategies and counseling. This discipline investigates countless other areas too, including how individuals are affected by exercise and sport. There are many reasons why tennis is one of the world's most popular sports. Let's examine some psychological benefits of tennis, and other sports too. If you aren't playing much lately, or you'd like to motivate a friend to dust off the old rackets, use this article as doctor's orders to hit the courts!
Numerous studies document the psychological benefits of sport and exercise. Playing regular tennis is fun, but we often overlook the many psychological advantages that enrich not only our experiences on the court, but overall functioning and competitiveness off the court as well.
Improved Mental Functioning
Studies demonstrate that sports such as tennis are associated with improved academic performance and memory, and reduced confusion. While playing tennis is unlikely to raise your IQ or get you into Harvard, it just might provide you the mental edge to think a little clearer and better manage the chaos of daily life.
Enhanced Emotional Health
Sport and exercise on a regular basis may also provide widespread emotional benefits. The literature reports greater emotional stability, improved confidence and assertiveness, more positive body image, fewer phobias, decreased psychotic behavior, reduced anxiety, less anger, and lower levels of depression. Many psychologists and physicians prescribe exercise as an adjunct, or main treatment, for a variety of emotional difficulties.
Improved Physical Functioning
Physical benefits of exercise include fewer headaches, improved sexual satisfaction, reduced muscular tension, and enhanced perceptions. Physical health usually enhances well being, contributing to emotional health as well.
More Efficient Behavior
Sports including tennis may also enhance your behavior in a variety of other areas. Positive associations are reported between sport and overall functioning, self-control, work efficiency, decreased absenteeism, fewer work errors, and decreased alcohol abuse. It's no surprise that smart companies invest in their employees' health with wellness programs, as this increases employee satisfaction and productivity.
How Does It Work?
Why do tennis and other sports appear to have such widespread benefits? While there are rarely simple answers to complex questions, researchers have pointed to a number of psychological and physical explanations including increased self-esteem, self-sufficiency, improved quality of life, distraction from daily hassles, changes in brain neurotransmitters, increased oxygen consumption, and better blood flow in the brain.
(I got this from a site. It is something worth considering especially fro tennis players like me)