Tennis Season: Your guide to staying injury free on the courts
The weather is improving, we’re able to be outdoors more and usually this indicates the star5t of the tennis season! With wimbledon just around the corner and our bodies wanting to soak up the vitamin D, tennis is a great way to keep fit and active as well as being a social activity too!
However tennis is like most other sports in that there is a high risk of injury if we are not properly prepared - so before you pick up your racket, take 5 minutes to read this guide on staying injury free this summer!
MOBILITY
It is essential that you ensure you have properly warmed up the body before playing, tennis is a high impact sport and your joints will suffer if they haven’t been mobilised. There are some key exercises to include here for 5 minutes pre-game including:
Open and Close the gate ( 5 reps of each on both sides)
Lateral Lunges (6-8 reps on each side)
Thoracic Twists ( 4-5 each side)
Standing roll downs ( 4-5)
Complete this before beginning
2. CROSS TRAINING
To help ensure that your muscles and joints are strong and able to take the impact of the match, including some strength work and cross training during the week will really help. Machines such as the rower and the static bike are great for building endurance, whilst weighted work such as squats, lunges, core and shoulder press will all help to prevent injury.
Try to include at least one strength session during the week.
3. STRETCHES
It is essential that you stretch after playing tennis, you body has pushed hard for the duration of the game and must be treated the same way as any other workout. You can do this on the court before you head home so that you don’t forget!
Key areas to stretch include hip flexors, quads, calves as well as forearms and shoulders, the areas that have taken the most strain during the day!
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