The Real Health Benefits Of Playing Tennis

Tennis is more than just a ball and racquet game. It is a full-body workout that can get your blood pumping! Tennis can either be played as a sport or as a recreational activity to socialize with other people. Still, either way, it can benefit you greatly by improving your overall health and fitness.

The body goes through so much when you are playing tennis. Your senses are alert, the blood is flowing, and many of your muscles are constantly exerting and stretching. The calories that this sport burns is another incredible motivation to find an hour regularly and indulge in some artful tennis stroke. An average person is known to burn between 210 and 294 calories per hour while playing tennis (via Harvard Health Publishing).

Now, that's some physical involvement — a great way to stay fit and on a training schedule while having some fun on the court. Tennis sounds too good to miss out on, right? Here's more on how this exciting game helps with your physical health.

Cardiovascular activities — especially of aerobic nature — can significantly strengthen your  health. For example, while you play tennis, you run across a tennis court, chase a ball and leap forward to hit it in full swing. This results in deeper and faster breathing, increasing the oxygen supply and blood flow throughout your body. Research confirms this too. A study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine concluded that active participants in racquet sports reduced their chances of dying from cardiovascular diseases by 56% (via BJSM). 

Making tennis a part of your routine will help you strengthen your cardiovascular health and aid in weight loss. Keeping your weight loss goals in mind, you can shed a few pounds by burning calories while playing tennis. A study revealed that individuals who made no changes to their diets lost significant weight over ten months by adding aerobic exercise to their routines five days a week (via Obesity Research Journal).

Playing tennis can also improve your motor skills by improving your balance — an essential part of tennis. By focusing on balance, mastering the opening and closing stance, and applying force to strike the ball, you train your body to maintain balance even in testing conditions (via FeelTennis).

Tennis is a strategy sport, and strategy sports aid in physical fitness and benefit your mental health. The sport regularly makes you practice improving your attention span and focus, as they are integral parts of the game. You also train yourself to avoid distraction, stay in the moment, and use effective verbal cues (via Tennis Life Magazine). 

Tennis can also help you make friends. It is a sport that involves more than one person, which means that you have to socialize to play tennis, and socializing comes with great benefits, especially for your mental health. If you are just starting and have decided to learn tennis, joining a local tennis club will be beneficial. This way, you can find people to play with regularly, and perhaps someone to train with.

Exercise is a great way to release stress. By engaging in sports such as tennis, your brain releases endorphins and serotonin, which help relieve anxiety and stress (via Giammalva). So grab your racquets and head out. It's time to play!