Find out why boomers are returning to the game that can help keep them sharp on and off the court.
Lynne Opelka first picked up a tennis racket when she turned 40 and moved to Florida with her husband and two kids. The sport changed her life. Because of tennis, she quickly made friends in her adopted state, and she eats better, exercises more, and spends quality time on the court with her kids, including a son who now ranks nationally in the sport.
Why Tennis?
Opelka, now 45, has learned what avid tennis players already know: Tennis is a social sport that gives you a great all-over workout. Like Opelka, many boomers are returning to the sport they played in their youth, and loving it, says Glenn Arrington, national manager of Collegiate and Corporate Tennis for the United States Tennis Association (USTA).
Tennis provides a strong cardiovascular workout with interval training. It works your body at a higher level of intensity as you move around the court, then allows time to recover between points.
Once you grab a racket, you’ll discover that tennis provides a great toning workout too. Swinging a racket helps tone biceps, triceps, shoulders, and forearms. Moving around the court works the leg muscles, including calves, hamstrings, and quadriceps. Playing tennis also helps build core strength by working your abdominal muscles and lower back. It’s these muscles that help you hit a ball across the net and keep you balanced as you run.
Tennis may even be good for your mind. Besides the benefits of good old stress relief and time spent with friends, tennis tests alertness and tactical thinking.
Getting Started
While tennis has a reputation as a sport for the well-to-do, it’s actually fairly inexpensive and quite accessible, says Arrington. About 70% of tennis is played at public parks, not exclusive country clubs. And you can buy durable tennis shoes for less than $50 and a quality graphite racket for no more than $100. Newer rackets with larger heads make it easier for the average player to be more powerful on the court, says Arrington.
Opelka started with a group adult-education class that met two times a week. “It was difficult at first, but I stuck with it. Within a few weeks I improved so much and didn’t want the class to end. Now I’m in love with tennis,” says Opelka, who does sit-ups and eats healthier to improve at the sport she calls “addictive.”
Private lessons may improve your game. But many prefer group lessons at the community center or local club, at least in the beginning.
“We recommend starting with a group introductory program because it takes the pressure off, and it’s a great way to meet new friends and find a willing partner or two for practice,” says Arrington.
To bring people back to the game of tennis, the USTA recently partnered with the Tennis Industry Association (TIA) to create tennis welcome centers at existing facilities across the country. Visit www.tenniswelcomecenters.com, type in your zip code, and you’ll find parks, clubs, schools, and other tennis facilities that welcome newcomers and provide lessons.
A New Option
Cardio tennis is an option for people who want to take advantage of the health benefits of tennis without playing an actual match. It’s a group aerobic activity that gets you swinging your racket, hitting balls back, and forth and moving around the court in small groups. Tennis skills may improve but the point of cardio tennis is the workout, not the game, says Arrington. For details and to find a location, visit www.cardiotennis.com.
