A
s st r aw be r ry
season begins, that
can only mean one
thing – The
Wimbledon
Championships. But
tennis isn’t just a sport for elites. If
you’re looking to lose weight and tone
up over the summer months, you can’t
go wrong by picking up a racket and
getting out there – whether it’s on
a competition court or in your own
back garden.
An American study discovered that
both men and women who played
tennis had a lower than average levelof body fat. Happily, to achieve these
results, you don’t exactly have to be a
professional either. Canadian research
on recreational twice-a-week players
found they had significantly lower fat
levels than age-matched non-players.
And it’s not just your waistline that
could benefit. Multiple studies have
reported increased heart size and
cardio performance in tennis players
over the years, while research on bone
health has demonstrated significant
strengthening effects, even for those
taking up the sport in later life.
‘You can play from eight years old to
80, so long as your health allows,’ saysLeon Smith, captain of the Great
Britain Davis Cup team. ‘And there’s
now new equipment to help beginners
learn the game, such as lower
compression balls that don’t bounce
as high or fast, or smaller sized courts,
and various lengths of rackets to help
control swings.’
There’s never been a better time to
start either, with Nature Valley and
the Lawn Tennis Association holding
Big Tennis Weekends (clubspark.lta.
org.uk) across the country this
summer, allowing people to try the
sport for free. So what are you waiting
for? It’s time to make a racket.tennis?
anyone
for
If you’ve been inspired by the players at Wimbledon
to pick up a racket, you’re in for some big benefits,
from fat burning to muscle toning.
46 TopSanté Facebook.com/ TopSanteMagazine @ TopS a n t eUK