Tennis Health Benefits

Tennis is truly the sport for a lifetime. Consider the following benefits:

• Play 3 hours of tennis a week and you’ll cut your risk of death in half from any cause, according to a Harvard study of 10,000 people during a 20-year period.

• An hour of tennis can burn 580 to 870 calories, depending on your weight, says the Mayo Clinic. Google says reducing calories by 300 per day and increasing daily activity to burn off an additional 200 calories should result in a weight loss of one pound per week.

• Cleveland Clinic says tennis is ‘ideal sport for a healthy heart.’ And a Johns Hopkins study showed that middle-aged men who played tennis-more than any other activity-had a significant lower incidence of cardiovascular disease as they aged.

• Tennis develops your mind. The sport requires critical thinking and problem solving. Tennis keeps your brain active.

• Tennis helps develop a work ethic. By improving through lessons and practice tennis reinforces the value of hard work.

• Tennis develops self-discipline. Regular practice keeps you disciplined in your approach to improvement. In this way, playing tennis is similar to learning a musical instrument and students learn that there is no easy way to success.

• Tennis helps in managing mistakes. Being able to move past mistakes is critical, whether in tennis or in life.

• Tennis helps in problem-solving and managing adversity. Players need to figure out the angles, geometry and physics, while adjusting constantly to match conditions.

• Tennis helps to manage and reduce stress. With the physical, mental and emotional challenges tennis presents, you’ll increase your capacity to deal with stress. Tennis has pressure points and learning to deal successfully with these situations can offer benefits within the game and in the rest of your life.

• Tennis develops social skills. You play with others both across the net and on teams and in leagues. For players of all ages and abilities you can make new friends and expand your social network.

• Tennis time is great family time. It’s a great sport that the whole family can enjoy together.

• Tennis develops teamwork. Whether it’s playing on a doubles team, or on a league or school team, tennis helps to develop your ability to communicate and work together.

• Tennis improves your self-image. Tennis players scored higher in vigor, optimism and self-esteem while scoring lower in depression, anger, confusion, anxiety and tension than other athletes or non-athletes, according to a Southern Connecticut State University study.

Whether you are nine or ninety, you can participate and enjoy physical, mental and social benefits. Come join us and start enjoying your better health and happiness.