It’s a well-known fact that playing a sport is a healthy habit to have. Tennis, in particular, is a well-studied sport with several research papers pointing out its various health benefits. The health benefits offered by tennis include an array of mental health benefits too.
Physical Benefits of Playing Tennis
While you need to start playing tennis at a young age if you want to go pro, tennis is a game that can be picked up at any age with any level of fitness – you can build up your fitness as you play. Playing tennis can boost your agility, cardiovascular fitness, muscle tone and strength, and a whole lot more.
Weight loss:
The clock-in, clock-out gym routine can get stale. Playing tennis can help you burn as many (or more) calories as spending time in a gym, especially if you’re over 50. An hour of moderate activity tennis burns 300-600 kcal/h, while high-intensity tennis training expends a whopping 450-900 kcal/h.
Naturally, this needs to be paired with a healthy diet for weight loss – but losing weight while having fun? Sign us up!
Musculoskeletal health:
Playing tennis helps keep your muscles and bones in top form. The twisting, turning, and stretching you do when reaching for the ball with your racquet helps keep your limbs supple and builds core strength. These movements have also been proven to help prevent the development of osteoporosis in later life by improving bone health.
Cardiovascular fitness:
All the running around on the court is great for your heart. It really gets the blood flowing to strengthen heart function. Studies show that people who play tennis have lower cholesterol levels, lower BMIs, and a reduced risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
Improved sleep:
It can be difficult to get a good night’s sleep when life gets hectic. Taking some time off to play tennis can help you refocus. The activity itself releases serotonin which helps with your sleep cycle. Playing tennis outdoors is also good for your melatonin levels – another important hormone that helps regulate sleep.
Mental Health Benefits Offered By Tennis
The pandemic has made us more conscious of taking care of ourselves both physically and mentally. As you have seen, tennis has a lot to offer when it comes to physical health. It also takes good care of you mentally.
Reduces stress, anxiety, and depression:
Exercise reduces stress. Tennis reduces it very well. The release of endorphins due to exercise makes you feel happier overall. Just 15 minutes of tennis has been shown to reduce stress levels by 35% — imagine what a whole hour can do! Tennis has also been known to reduce the symptoms of depression, anxiety, and general mental health symptoms in general.
Socialization:
Isolation can cause a variety of mental health issues. Tennis is a social game. Even if you play singles tennis, you are still playing against an opponent. Playing tennis on a regular basis not only gets you out of the home, but it helps you have healthy interactions with like-minded people.
Develop soft skills:
Tennis is as much a mental game as it is physical. Playing tennis regularly helps you develop your strategic thinking and decision-making skills as you decide where to place a ball in a matter of milliseconds. It also helps you develop your focus and ability to concentrate.
You don’t have to play tennis at a professional level to reap its multiple health benefits. If you want to learn how to play the game or improve your tennis skills, explore the various lessons the National Tennis School has to offer or get in touch with our team to learn more.