The pandemic has made me try lots of new outdoor activities. I never realized how good exercising felt especially outside. Honestly, it might be giving me the real high of life. My newest adventure has been playing tennis.
Why you should play Tennis
The Calorie Burn is high
You can burn 350-500 calories if you are playing a non-competitive game and around 500-800 calories if you are playing a competitive game. It also depends if you are playing doubles or singles.
The tennis court is pretty big so if you are playing a singles game there will be a lot of running around. This makes the calorie burn high. You are using your arms to hit the ball but to get to the balls you are using your legs. So your whole body ends up moving.
Collecting the balls in itself is an exercise.
It is fun
Tennis is a pretty fast-paced game which makes it super fun. If you like a competitive game this is the sport for you.
There are courts everywhere
A lot of parks and community centers have tennis courts for free. So find one near you and play tennis for free.
It isn’t an expensive sport
Apart from the initial expenditure on the racquet tennis isn’t an expensive sport. The courts are free and you can buy a pack of 3 balls for 10 dollars. I bought Wilson balls as they are bouncy. Have at least 6 balls as it makes it easier to play.
Beginner Tennis tips
Invest in a good racquet.
There are racquets that are aluminum and under 50 dollars. If you don’t know whether you are going to play it might sound like a good idea to buy a cheap racquet. But honestly, the 100 dollars or more racquets are so much better and lighter. You are likely to stick to the game if you start with a good racquet.
Aluminum racquets are suggested for beginners as they have more power. But do you want to buy a racquet and then a month later buy another one? I played with both the first time I played and honestly the graphite one felt much better even for me as a beginner.
I got a Head Graphite racquet.
Get some lessons
With tennis, form is important especially since your wrist can start hurting. Get a few lessons at the beginning. This will make you a better player and will make sure your body doesn’t hurt.
Play when the sun isn’t too bright
The sun can cause heatstroke in tennis. Try to play when it is cooler in the day and the sun isn’t shining in your face. Mornings and evenings are great to play. Wear a cap and drink plenty of water.
Practice, Practice, and Practice
You aren’t going to be great the first time and that is okay. Keep practicing and invest time into it and you will see the improvements. You will thank yourself when you become a good player. It all just requires some time.
If you have an empty wall you can play against try hitting the ball there. You can go to a school ground and try this. Otherwise, there are tennis ball machines as well. They can be for 500 dollars so not sure if it is worth the investment.
So are you convinced to start playing tennis as a hobby?