Although much of the world has been focused on the World Cup, there’s been another event going on that is worthy of your attention: Wimbledon. Watching the event unfold may serve to embolden regular tennis players and those who have never picked up a racket to get out on the court. If you fit that bill, then you’ll want to play the game with fitness and injury prevention in mind, and a new article relates how you can do so.
One thing to realize is that tennis is truly a full-body workout. It’s not the kind of thing that can be approached lightly. Not only are you swinging the racket with your arms, but you’re running to and fro on the court, pivoting instantly in order to return errant balls and leaping in all directions in order to keep play going.
All of this can take its toll on your body, which is why you need to prepare yourself for the exercise. When you stretch before and after a match, make sure that you’re paying attention to every area of your body. The one portion you miss will be the one section that is at risk for an injury. This same overall attentiveness also applies to strength training. Don’t just focus on your arms or your legs; build strength in all your limbs as well as in your core so that you can reduce the risk of an injury dramatically.
The article relates some of the specific moves that can help in these regards. Lunges and squats are offered as the type of move that can lead to the hips and upper back becoming more mobile. Make sure as you do these, however, that you work with a trainer so that your form is perfected, allowing you to get the most out of the exercise. You can further improve your legs by becoming adept at jumping rope, something that will come in handy when it comes time to lunge for a ball that seems out of reach.
If the tennis racket is back in your hand for the first time in awhile, then you’ll want to start off with simply getting in the habit of being able to hit the ball back and forth. This will get you moving a little bit and allow you to focus on honing your swing.
Of course, much of swing improvement will hinge on working with an instructor who knows the proper technique. That way, you can swing your arms in a fluid way that won’t create jerky movements which contribute to injury.
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