A Saturday Evening of Fitness with Tennis

The tennis racket that was leaning against the wall for the past few months finally got some use. It seemed to be much useful on the court than as a cheap form of house decoration. Health is becoming important to me and so is the opportunity to meet interesting people. Tennis provides an appropriate balance between fitness and fun so that I can sustain movement toward my fitness goals.

It wasn’t a particularly warm afternoon for Southern California; somewhere near a breezy 60 degrees. A sweatshirt would have been appropriate in most casual outdoor situations. Within a few minutes, you will no longer think about a sweatshirt; or even the outside temperature.

Chasing that green furry ball is all the heat needed to keep warm. Tennis is a fast sport and requires sprinting from one side of the court to the other. The quick dashes, stops, and arm movements  of your muscles, heart and arms.  It is one of those full-body workouts that doesn’t feel like you're doing anything until it is all over.

Accordingly, that is one of the reasons why I like to play tennis. A few competitive games and an hour is up. If there was more time before the sun went down I might have stayed another hour. Because time flew bye we played until the court lights were needed to see anything.

Tennis has its charm as a fun alternative to other workouts that drag on and keep reminding us that we are “working out”. Improving fitness is easy when you engage in activities with enjoyment. Tennis is a social sport that any level player can enjoy. Maintaining an intensive fitness program requires finding alternatives to “traditional” exercises. Tennis seems to fill that gap without all the drudgery of the gym.