Tennis is a physically challenging sport that requires players to have the right mix of aerobic and anaerobic endurance, explosive strength and power, speed off the court and agility.
A player’s training program must also include maintenance of strength, flexibility and functional fitness. This will help them cope with the physical demands of the game and protect them from injury.
Cardiovascular Fitness
Tennis players need to have a good level of cardiovascular fitness in order to play. This capacity allows them to maintain a high intensity throughout the entire match or practice and is essential to their success.
Cardiovascular endurance training should include both distance work and sprints. Jogging is a great way to improve your cardiovascular capacity but it’s important to add some sprint training into your routine as well.
This type of interval training is best done during a track workout. Try using a ratio of one-third which means that you allow three times more rest than effort.
You don’t need to train for cardiovascular endurance every day, but it is beneficial to incorporate it into your tennis workouts a few times a week. The more frequently you perform aerobic exercises, the less likely you will become fatigued and have muscle soreness in your muscles.
Strength
Tennis training is a high impact sport with repetitive movements that demand dynamic functional strength. Without adequate strength levels, it is impossible to have agility, speed, power and a developed anaerobic system (Verstegen, 2003).
Tennis players are also at risk of developing muscle imbalances that can result in injury. These imbalances are particularly prevalent in the shoulders, elbows and knees.
This is where weight training comes in. It can help prevent injuries in these areas by increasing the stability and resilience of the muscles around these joints.
While most exercises in the weight room focus on the larger muscle groups, smaller, more isolated muscles are often neglected. This can place these muscles under disproportionate stress and lead to overuse injuries.
Endurance
Endurance is an important part of fitness because it helps you to continue performing physical activity for a longer period of time. It also helps you to recover from intense exercise, explains Hosbein.
When it comes to tennis training, endurance is the key to maximizing your performance on the court. You need to be able to play long matches without getting tired.
In addition to cardiovascular fitness, you also need to build up your muscular endurance. Strength training is the best way to increase your endurance.
Increasing your muscular endurance can help you to keep up with the pace of a game on the tennis court, while improving your footwork. Some of the most effective exercises for tennis endurance include running intervals, as well as shuttle sprints.
You can also improve your endurance by eating a healthy diet that includes lots of protein and micronutrients. These nutrients will help your body to recover from an intense workout, as well as ensuring you have the energy you need for your next match!
Flexibility
Flexibility is an essential component of tennis training. It is important for injury prevention as well as for improving performance.
A good flexibility routine should include a mix of static and dynamic stretches, performed both before and after exercise. Dynamic stretching prepares the body for physical exertion by increasing range of movement and blood flow to soft tissues, while static stretches increase passive flexibility.
Flexibility varies among individuals, as do bone structure and muscle mass . Excess fatty tissue and connective tissue also limit flexibility.