As an active tennis player for over 20 years, tennis has helped me tremendously to stay in good shape and the keep the weight off. Tennis has been my primary form of exercise and will continue to be that for the rest of my life. Also, as a tennis coach for several years, I have witnessed many adults pick up tennis and subsequently lose weight.
As obesity levels in America, and the world, have continued to increase over the years, many people are seeking solutions for losing weight. Is tennis the perfect sport for you to lose weight?
Tennis is a great sport for losing weight as it burns 350 – 750 calories per hour depending on the person and their type of play. The most important factors are what level a person is at, whether they are playing singles or doubles, and how many times per week.
Tennis, most likely is not going to be a complete solution for losing weight, but it can be a fun, engaging, and social activity that aids weight loss when paired with proper diet and the pursuit of a healthy lifestyle.
In my experience, tennis definitely helps people lose weight. I have seen it many times. If a person is committed to playing several times per week, involved in a tennis club, taking clinics and lessons, and joining tennis leagues – they will lose fat and gain muscle.
Losing Weight Playing Tennis – Singles or Doubles?
The most important factor for losing weight playing tennis is whether you are playing singles or doubles. They both have their pros and cons.
In singles, you will burn many more calories because you are covering an entire side of the court by yourself. It involves a lot more running because on every shot you are the only person responsible for getting it back to your opponent. You will be physically exhausted after playing singles for 1.5 hours.
*Also see: Is Tennis Good for Meeting and Dating Women?
Doubles, although it involves about half the running as singles, will still burn calories. It is a lot of fun because it involves four people and has that social aspect that singles does not.
Also note that as tennis players age, they tend to play more doubles than singles. Why? Most senior players I’ve talked to about it attribute it to wanting to be easy on their knees and backs, as well as enjoying the social part of doubles.
Maintaining Weight Loss with Tennis
Tennis provides the opportunity to not only lose weight in the short term but also maintain weight loss over a lifetime.
A huge advantage that tennis has over other sports is that you can continue to play competitively no matter what age you are. Tennis has divisions, leagues, and tournaments based off age categories that go all the way up to 100 years old. Don’t miss out on this unique characteristic of tennis that other sports do not provide.
*Also see: Is Tennis a Good Workout? It Depends on…
People that commit to being a tennis player are some of the healthiest people I know. I even met a 100-year-old tennis player in Medellin, Colombia that credits tennis as the most important activity he does to stay fit and not get overweight.
My Recommendation For Losing Weight Playing Tennis
The better tennis player you are, the more weight you will lose. This is because as you progress as a tennis player, you will be able to have longer rallies and run more. So, follow this blueprint for getting the best weight-loss results.
1) Get Started
If you are a newbie to tennis, get started by taking a few lessons. These will give you the basic fundamentals of grips, creating a forehand and backhand swing, volleys, and serving.
After a few lessons and some fundamentals, you will be ready to participate in tennis clinics which are drill-based sessions that are provided by tennis clubs. You will be well on your way to losing weight.
2) Join a Tennis Club
Joining a tennis club will immediately put you in touch with many other players. The social aspect is great, but you will also be able to play tennis several times per week. Your tennis club will provide lessons, a variety of clinics, and partners to play with.
Many clubs offer “Cardio clinics” which are focused less on instruction and more on creating an intense workout. These are the best ones is your primary purpose is to lose weight.
*Also See: Is Tennis a Rich Person Sport? Not really…
3) Join Tennis Leagues and Tennis Tournaments
A great thing about tennis is that they have leagues and tournaments for every skill level, especially beginner. These are great for losing weight, but even better for maintaining weight loss. The best part is that you do not need to be an advanced player to be heavily involved in these events.
4) Supplement Tennis Play with Exercise and Diet
Anecdotally, I would estimate that at least 50 percent of the recreational tennis players that I know also exercise outside of tennis. Why? They want to get better at tennis as well as stay in shape. The two compliment each other very well.
And it might sound obvious, but any weight loss journey should include eating a healthy diet that will provide you with energy. If you eat very unhealthy, the utilization of tennis for weight loss will provide minimal results.
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