IMWChallenge - Why Not Tennis?
April is Activity/Exercise month
Back when I was in high school and college I was a very active person. I was always playing sports with my friends. Yes I actually did and still do have friends- even if many of them won’t admit it. My favorite sport to participate in was always tennis. Being that I have been told I am vertically challenged tennis seemed like a good sport that I could be competitive in since I was not tall enough to dunk a basketball. Believe it or not I worked hard at my tennis game and was rewarded by playing varsity tennis my first two years in college. I gave it up Junior and Senior years to focus more on actual classes and grades. Imagine that! College was actually a stepping stone to a career instead of a 4 year party to graduate with huge debts. Oops I digressed.
While I enjoyed my college years and all the freedom I had at that time I would much rather be where I am today. Butt, and there are always butts, especially in D.C., when I started medical school I was not able to continue with all the exercise I had previously enjoyed. While I won’t say I got “out of shape” in medical school and residency I would not exactly say I was “in shape” either. Not being in better shape has prevented me from doing certain things I always enjoyed to my fullest. While many will say that is just a part of aging, I don’t buy that. I see many people in their 60s and 70s enjoying themselves in all types of athletic and active endeavors. They don’t get older, retire and then decide to watch the “propaganda tube” and eat bonbons all day.
They keep active. They work on their diet as well as their physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health. In other words, they keep on living life to the fullest.
So why am I writing this today?
Well………………
I am in my later 50s and I am challenging myself to get physically stronger. I want to be that 75 year old some day who still goes out and plays tennis or pickle ball 5 days a week. Being that I have never ever played pickle yet that is saying something. But I hope my tennis skills will allow me to pick it up if I ever decide to. Hmmm, maybe instead of spending my spare time writing blog posts I should join a pickleball league?
If I do join a pickleball league should I go with Garlic, Dill or Sweet and is there a difference???
Back to Tennis.
From what you have read so far you realize that tennis has played a big part in my life. At some point hopefully soon I will get back to playing more regularly. If I do I will probably do so at Moorestown Tennis Club. I frequented Moorestown Tennis Club often when my daughter played high school tennis. They helped shape her game and made it very enjoyable between the competition, the coaches and the friends she made.
So for todays post I asked George Crouse, Tennis Director at Moorestown Tennis Club to say a few words.
George - Take it away.
You get first serve!
Have you ever tried playing tennis?
Tennis can be a great workout, is lots of fun and has many health benefits including:
increasing aerobic capacities
lowering resting heart rate and blood pressure
improving metabolic function
increasing bone density
lowering body fat
improving muscle tone, strength and flexibility.
Tennis is one of the best cardiovascular activities as most of the time you are moving and running. If you are sick of your current workout why not call a friend go outside get some fresh air play some tennis!
Tennis definitely can be a stress reducer away from the rigors of life. Studies have shown tennis has psychological benefits. Tennis keeps your brain active while concentrating on the ball. Researchers in Japan recently came out with study that playing tennis can lower risk of dementia by 25 percent.
Tennis is a sport you play for a lifetime. At our club we have cardio tennis program which is very popular. Every student finishes the class sweating and burns 400-600 calories on average. So get out there play some tennis. It’s a great workout while having fun!
If you haven’t played tennis and afraid you don’t have the skills then feel free to contact me or a local certified tennis professional that can guide you on your tennis journey.
George Crouse
Tennis Director
Moorestown Tennis Club
I know when I played tennis regularly I had very strong and solid legs. Well, not as much anymore and leg strength is very important as we age. We need our legs to move us about and maintain our independence. So for now I am working on building back my leg strength so as I age I keep my independence. That way I can still play tennis well into my 70s.
That is my #IMWChallenge to myself.
What is yours?
Ok Doc, here’s a challenge for both of us. I haven’t picked up a racket for ages(20ish years!), but was thinking about giving it a go. It should be getting warmer outdoors soon. I pass some rarely used courts in Mount Laurel that might be close to both of us. Just tell me the time, and I’ll be there. Maybe 20-30 minutes tops the first time, to give our bodies a chance to ease into it. The body has amazing “muscle memory”, but that’s all in the neural pathways, and the muscles might not still be where the brain remembers they were last time…😊
In high school and some in college I played tennis, golf and even some bowling. But what i found was that they all were "one sided" activities. I later transitioned into martial arts which was great exercise, developed both sides of my body and gave an extra benefit of learning some practical self defense techniques. Any suggestions on activities that are not only good exercises but also teach some type of useful skill?