Cardio tennis is a way of training for your favourite game that really focuses on a player’s cardiovascular fitness. Good tennis coaches will make the cardio session an active session all the time, together with a great workout.
Your coach will not be working on technique or how you hit the ball, instead he will focus and function more like a motivator during the session.
If your primary goal is to improve your fitness and have a great deal of fun at the same time, then cardio tennis classes are perfect.
Benefits
- Plenty of fun
- A great way to workout
- Takes the pressure away from hitting bad shots
- Burns more calories than ordinary tennis classes
- Good for hand-to-eye coordination
- Great for maintaining general health
The Sessions
Normally cardio sessions last for around an hour, this consists of a warm up, a cardio phase, and a cool-down session. The high impact cardio session is between 30 and 50 minutes and is non stop action.
Music
Cardio classes are all about having fun whilst you work out, many classes utilise music to help motivate students and to get them moving.
However, cardio classes can be a little noisy and are best held at the end of the day not to disrupt other players.
Heart Rate Monitors
Good classes will utilise heart rate monitors, these ensure participants work within their desired optimal heart rate zone. The general idea is that students work for longer periods but in the correct heart rate zone which provides the greatest health benefits.
This optimal heart rate zone is normally between 65 to 85% of your maximum heart rate. You can calculate this by taking your age off the number 220. So if you are 30 then your maximum heart rate is 190, and your workout will focus between 120-160.
Typical Exercises
Coaches like to mix cardio sessions up a lot, so there will be many stations where everybody is active. Sometimes agility ladders are used so students can concentrate on their footwork.
Other times transition balls are used because you can rally for longer using these, in essence there will be a mixture of hitting balls and doing cardio exercises in between.
Cardio Tennis is perfect for the tennis world in general, firstly it involves a lot of fun and people getting together, beginners included. Learning technique and tactics can be difficult so cardio tennis motivates people and lets them enjoy their activity in the process.
Ask about cardio lessons in your club, they will be happy to include a new student and you will certainly reap the benefits associated with the sessions.
North Sydney Tennis and Gym is a hidden gem located on the rooftop of the Ridge Street car park. We offer tennis court hire, lessons and competitions for Tennis, Netball and Futsal. Come in and try our cardio tennis program including the Cardio Blast 30 min lunchtime session. Stop wasting time and come and enjoy a game.
