Health Benefits that Make You a Winner On Court and Off

Let tennis add years to your life –and life to your years!

Of all the sports and other activities available today for those looking to get active and healthy, why should you choose tennis? Numerous studies have shown that tennis — over most other sports — is one that improves your overall health in a variety of ways. Known as “the sport of a lifetime,” tennis not only provides many physical benefits, it also provides important mental and social benefits for people of all ages.

Your Body

• Burns Calories: According to the Mayo Clinic, playing one hour of singles can burn between 580-870 calories.

• Keeps Your Heart Healthy: The Cleveland Clinic says tennis is “an ideal sport for a healthy heart.”

• Develops, Tones and Strengthens Muscles: Works both your upper and lower body.

• Increases Bone Strength and Density: No matter your age, weight-bearing activities like tennis are important for bone health, according to the National Institutes of Health.

• Improves Flexibility: Because you work all your limbs, joints and muscles when you play tennis, an expert panel at ESPN ranked tennis in the top 12 out of 60 sports in terms of flexibility.

• Improves Balance, Coordination and Reaction Time: By moving and adjusting to hit the ball, tennis helps overall body coordination, and by constantly judging the timing of the ball, it improves hand-eye coordination.

➜ Tennis players live longer

➜ Playing just 3 hours/week will reduce your risk of heart disease by 56%.

➜ A study from the Copenhagen City Heart Study shows that playing tennis can extend your life by nearly 10 years.

Your Mind

• Develops Your Mind: From alertness to tactical thinking, tennis enhances the neural connections in your brain. According to a 2013 USTA study, kids who play tennis regularly get better grades.

• Helps Develop a Strong Work Ethic: Through lessons and practice, tennis reinforces the value of hard work.

• Develops Self-Discipline: Regular practice keeps you disciplined in your approach to improvement.

• Helps Manage and Reduce Stress: The physical and mental challenges of the sport increase your capacity to deal with stress.

• Improves Self-Image: According to a Southern Connecticut State University study, tennis players scored higher in vigor, optimism, and selfesteem while scoring lower in depression, anger, confusion, anxiety, and tension than other athletes or non-athletes

Your Life

• Develops Social Skills: Tennis outperforms all other sports in developing positive personality traits based on a study out of Concordia University.

• Develops Teamwork and Sportsmanship: Whether it’s playing on a doubles team, league team or school team, tennis helps develop your ability to communicate and work together.

• Connects Family and Friends: Tennis is great for the whole family no matter what your age. With minimal equipment needed and plenty of courts nearby, it’s easy to bring a friend or find one at the courts.

• Helps in Managing Mistakes and Solving Problems: Being able to move past mistakes is critical, whether in tennis or in life. Tennis is a sport that is based on evaluating angles, geometry and physics to get the best result, which translates into better problem-solving off the court.