What if I told you there’s one sport that’s not only a favorite among athletes but also offers several health benefits? There is a sport loved by athletes across various disciplines—and even starts like MS Dhoni and Gukesh Dommaraju enjoy playing it in their spare time. Playing this sport helps in enhancing their physical abilities while also stimulating cognitive function. That particular sport sometimes requires only two players, rackets, a ball, and a court.
By now, the name ‘Tennis’ is probably popping into your head. Tennis offers countless benefits for the human body, and top athletes often play it in their spare time—sometimes even before their games. But what are the advantages of playing tennis? Let’s decode them one by one.
Key Benefits Of Tennis For Your Health
Playing tennis not only helps build lean tissue in your body but also improves your overall inner health. Envision yourself playing a game with your kid, family, or friends, participating in a fun activity while also churning out tons of benefits—that’s tennis for you. Here are some of the considerable benefits of tennis for adults as well as kids:
Enhancement in Agility
There’s no doubt that to excel in tennis, one must be highly agile. Innumerable studies have shown the crucial role agility plays in the sport. A study by ResearchGate also found that if you are already training for speed and agility, you will perform better in tennis. For rookies, playing tennis regularly helps gradually improve agility. To hit the ball with your racket within a space of just 7 meters, where the ball is unpredictable, one needs to be very fast.
Increase in Stamina
Playing tennis is a great way to enhance one’s stamina. It’s typically a long game that requires constant activity to respond to the ball immediately. If you’re looking for a fun way to increase your stamina, playing tennis can be miraculous for you. The movements involve pushing your body, keeping you in constant motion. It also improves oxygen circulation throughout your body.
Strength And Muscle Building
No wonder players like Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have naturally fit physiques with lean muscle mass. When we play tennis, we stretch, pull, and push our arms and legs to a certain extent, which engages our shoulders, biceps, triceps, and legs heavily. This leads to increased strength and the development of lean muscle tissue in our bodies.
Regulating Cardiovascular Health
When we play tennis, we engage in a range of activities, from small movements to intense actions such as running/jogging/smashing the ball/quick footwork, etc. These activities, when combined, provide an excellent cardiovascular workout that enhances oxygenation, improves cardiac rhythms, and is a fun way to boost cardiovascular health. This is one of the other major benefits of tennis.
Overall Athletic Performance
The boost in agility, muscle strengthening, improved stamina, physical toning, and conditioning is proof that tennis plays a major role in enhancing overall athletic performance. Its benefits are a key reason why it is a favorite among many athletes. If you are good at tennis, there is a high chance that your physical health is better than average, and you can outperform others in many other games, such as badminton, table tennis, and even cricket.
Metabolism Boost
When we play this beloved racket sport, we burn a lot of calories. The high-calorie burn, both directly and indirectly, helps boost metabolism. It regulates and enhances the basal metabolic rate, while improved muscle mass and good cardiovascular health further contribute to metabolic efficiency. Tennis also influences hormones like testosterone, growth hormone, adrenaline, and noradrenaline, which play a crucial role in boosting metabolism.
Fasten Reaction Time
A good tennis player often has a faster reaction time compared to the average person who doesn’t engage in such activities or workouts. The reason? Tennis requires athletes to respond within just 7 meters, often to a ball traveling at high speeds, typically requiring reactions within fractions of a second—sometimes even nanoseconds. These factors enhance reaction time while also providing significant physical benefits.
These are just seven of the many benefits that one can gain from playing tennis. You can join a club or simply play with friends—either way, the benefits are plenty!
Well-Known Sports Figures Who Love Tennis
On social media, you’ll often find Gukesh playing tennis, and MS Dhoni is no stranger to the game either. For both, it’s a great way to engage in explosive physical activity while staying fit. In an interview with Chessbase India (a popular chess journalism portal), Gukesh claimed that he loves playing tennis, as it helps wake up his mind and body, allowing him to focus better on the game. As for MS Dhoni, he’s a big tennis enthusiast. We’ve all seen him at major tennis events like the US Open in 2016 and 2022. Additionally, Dhoni himself won a state-level tennis tournament in Jharkhand.
When it comes to other sports stars and celebrities—such as Sachin Tendulkar, Kiara Advani, Virat Kohli, and Priyanka Chopra— they’ve all been spotted at the Wimbledon Championships. The insights you get from these athletes show that they all love playing the game in their spare time, and it also helps them reap the fruitful benefits of tennis.
Conclusion
Tennis is undoubtedly one of the most beloved sports worldwide, offering not only a range of benefits but also a fun and simple way to enhance our lifestyle. It’s no wonder athletes love it. Whether it’s boosting your mood by releasing hormones like dopamine or increasing your strength by regulating hormones like testosterone, which helps condition your muscles and bones—tennis contributes to it all. So, whether you’re young or in your 40s, 50s, or beyond, make time to play and reap these amazing benefits of tennis for yourself.
Note: If you have any pre-existing health conditions, it’s important not to follow the advice in this blog without consulting a doctor or physiotherapist first. Seeking professional guidance before starting your fitness journey is essential for your safety and well-being.
