The Australian Open Tennis Championships 2015: Has It Inspired You?

Fitness

With the New Year’s resolutions fading as quickly as they came, if your promise to yourself was to get fitter this year then why not take up a hobby? Tennis is a great all over cardiovascular workout, with tones at the same time – no more bingo wings!

Take a look at these facts:

1. People who participate in tennis 3 hours per week (at moderately vigorous intensity) can cut their risk of death in half from any cause.
2. Tennis players scored higher in optimism and self-esteem while scoring lower in depression, anger, confusion, anxiety and tension than other athletes.
3. Since tennis requires alertness and tactical thinking, it may generate new connections between nerves in the brain and thus promote a lifetime of continuing development of the brain.

Health

Not only will the exercise do your fitness a world of good but it can also have large impacts on your health. Just take a look at what tennis can do for you:

• Increasing aerobic capacities – short, intense bursts of activity during a point followed by rest which helps muscles use oxygen efficiently.
• Gross motor control through court movement and ball-striking skills which require control of your large muscle groups.
• Agility – by forcing you to change direction as many as 5 times in 10 seconds during a typical tennis point.
• Cross-training – by offering a physically demanding sport that’s fun to play for athletes who are expert in other sports.
• Bone strength and density – by strengthening bones of young players and helping prevent osteoporosis in older ones.
• Immune system – through its conditioning effects which promote overall health, fitness and resistance to disease.

Meeting New People

This can be an extremely large part of joining a new club/team, you will make tones of new friends! It can really widen your social circle, especially if you feel that all you do is work or look after the children. It will amaze you by home much fun you will have making new friends, you never know they may even have monthly meet ups outside of the club to socialise. Don’t be scared to go by yourself for the first time, even if you are absolute beginner, perhaps try going down to the club on an evening or weekend just to chat to the coaches, get a feel for the people and decide what class to join.

Holidays

If you decide you are loving your new hobby but need a break from the everyday hustle and bustle of life, then why don’t you try a tennis holiday? There are plenty of active holidays around, but some are specially designed for those looking for an all-inclusive tennis holiday, where you will meet other tennis enthusiasts! You could even suggest it to your club and see if anybody else fancies the trip – from a long weekend in France to a weeklong tennis break in Spain with a spa! The opportunities are endless.

Not to mention the tournaments that take place around the world – from the recent Australian open to the great British Wimbledon! Why not suggest team outings to visit these places, you never know they may already do it. This sport can be much more than just a work out or a hobby, it can be a way of life, a social circle and excursions.