Tennis Alone Won’t Do It

I am always looking for ways to improve my level of physical fitness and maintain a healthy weight. One of the reasons for me taking up the sport of tennis was to provide me with a physical activity that was fun, but didn't focus on the actual task of exercising. I find it much easier to motivate myself to go out and play a game of doubles than to motivate myself to go out for a 5 mile walk. Doubles is fun, social, and it doesn't really feel like you are working out. While doubles is a good way for me to keep moving and to get in some physical activity, I have discovered that it's not enough. Tennis, at least doubles, alone won't do it. There has to be more physical activity for me to improve my level of fitness and drop some additional pounds. For the most part, since beginning tennis, I have been able to maintain my weight and sometimes lose a few pounds, and to some degree my level of physical fitness has improved. Unfortunately, I don't play enough, recreationally, for me to get the level of benefit I had hoped to achieve. With that being said, I decided that I needed to add some additional activities to my exercise regimen.

About three weeks ago, I decided to utilize my lunchtime to walk. This has allowed me to get in 30 minutes of cardio 4-5 times a week. Additionally, I decided that throwing in a few games of singles tennis against a willing teammate during one of my team's two practice nights would be equally beneficial. While I have not dropped a ton of weight during that time, I have lost a few pounds and I have noticed a change in the fit of my clothing. My goal is to get back to where I was, fitness-wise, ten years ago. I can't tell you exactly what my weight was because I didn't have a scale. What I can tell you is that I visited one of those traveling health buses that crisscross the country to educate the public on health and fitness, and I was very lean for a woman and well within a healthy BMI for a woman of my height. Playing the amount of recreational tennis that I play has further magnified the importance of maintaining a healthy level of fitness. If it wasn't evident prior to tennis, it has become more evident with each tennis season and with each level I move up on the recreational skill ladder. I have come to understand that if I want to continue to excel at the game and remain injury free, then I am going to need to continue to work hard off the court to keep up with those who are younger, more fit, and possibly more skilled. I now know that tennis alone won't cut it. My love of tennis, unwillingness to give up the game, and growing desire to excel has made me even more dedicated than ever to continuing to improve my physical fitness. While I may not make it all the way back to where I was ten years ago, the physical, mental, and spiritual happiness I gain daily from my efforts is well worth the investment.