When most people think about getting into shape, they think about early morning drives to the gym, awkward pushing and pulling on a bulky machine, and a crowd of insecure onlookers. No one likes to workout at the gym.

The hard part about getting into shape is the commitment. Losing weight is no get-rich-quick scheme; it takes weeks to start seeing results, and as soon as you start to ease off, the weight comes right back.

The fun alternative to the gym is playing an active sport, which takes place outside in the fresh air and calmer climates. It can get you a tan and help you use muscles that normally wouldn’t be worked out in a bulky gym machine.

But which sport is the right one for you? There are so many to choose from.

Tennis is growing rapidly as one of American’s alternative to long workouts at the gym. It’s fun, easy, and there are so many public courts that are free to use!

Tennis is a great workout because it combines both a cardio workout with muscle-stimulating exercise. This will lead to a leaner body (less body fat) and stronger muscles.

Let’s start with the serve. Every game of tennis must begin with one player serving the ball to the opposite side of the court, and the second player must return that serve over the net.

When a player serves, he uses his non-dominant arm to toss the ball into the air, and then, using the dominant hand, swing the racket into the air and make contact, projecting the yellow fuzzy sphere over the net and into his opponent’s territory.

This action stimulates hand-eye coordination and requires the use of both the arm and leg muscles. And we haven’t even finished the first point.

At this point, a rally ensues, which means that both players are running (aerobic exercise) and swinging (anaerobic exercise) until the ball is dead. A ball becomes dead and the point ends when the ball bounces twice on either person’s side, it makes contact with the net and falls to the ground, or lands outside the court.

Also, if at any time you strike your opponent with the ball, you receive the point. It doesn’t matter if they are standing inside the court or not.

After only a few points of running, hitting, serving, and returning, the heart begins to beat faster and sweat forms all over the body. This burns calories, leading to increased health.

Another great thing about tennis is that you need someone to play with. By having someone help you reach your fitness goals, you are more accountable and more likely to be successful at it.

Working out is no fun because often you are alone, doing a hard thing and not seeing immediate progress. By having a partner to play tennis with, you can both improve your game and your health.

Make sure that your partner is at about the same skill level as you are, so that each player has about an equal chance of winning. Remember, the more fun you have working out, the more you will want to continue Cialis Professional to do it and the healthier you will become.

The proper equipment can be found at any most sporting goods stores, or online. Rackets come in all different shapes and sizes to accommodate players of all ages and skill levels.

All you need is a racket for each player and a few balls to hit. Public courts will have a net and sometimes lights to play when the sun goes down.

Tennis is not only for 2 players. You can have a doubles team on each side of the court, which means that 4 people can play at the same time.

Playing doubles will give you less space to run, making it a less intense workout, but it can be just as fun as playing singles. Tennis allows you to make friends and have fun, all while getting a great workout.

Make sure and drink plenty of water when participating in any activity. Heat stroke and dehydration are to be taken very seriously, and could happen to anyone, no matter how in shape they think they are.

Eating right is important also. Eat a solid breakfast and bring along some small snacks to eat between games.

Author Bio: Terry Daniels is an avid tennis player who plays tournaments as well as coaches. He uses strength training equipment for training and getting into shape.

Terry Daniels
TerryDaniels09@gmail.com
www.freemotionfitness.com

Category: Fitness
Keywords: Fitness