Cardio Tennis is held on one or more tennis courts with six to eight participants per court and a tennis teaching professional. The class meets for 60 to 90 minutes and consists of a warm-up, tennis-related games and drills, and a cool-down period. Participants can be of different ages and skills levels and still get a good workout within the same class.

A key component of the program is monitoring participants’ heart rates, to make sure they remain safely in their target zone. Ideally, you want to use a heart-rate monitor to ensure each person is working safely and at maximum efficiency based on their age, weight, height and gender. In the program I attended, the instructor provided a watch and chest strap and guided us through setting up the watch so that you can increase or decrease your effort during the class to remain in your target zone for the longest period of time. At the end of the class, you hit a button and the monitor shows you how much time you spent in your target zone and the number of calories you burned. With clear instructions from our teacher, we were up and running within minutes.

A second component of the Cardio Tennis program is the use of music. Like a regular aerobics class, music is designed to make the class more fun and lively. According to the Cardio Tennis material, music during the program will increase a participant’s effort by 30 percent, which means it also increases a participants’ benefit. And, because of the music and the activity, you simply don’t notice this increased effort.

The third component of the program is the use of rope ladders and other “sideline” activities placed on the ground outside the court. The goal is to keep participants constantly in motion, so when they’re not on the court running for shots, they’re stepping through the rope ladder or around cones on their way to go back on the court. The continuous movement keeps the heart rate up and also improves footwork.

A fourth component of Cardio Tennis is the use of low-pressure balls, which allow for easier control of the ball during hitting so rallies are easier and longer, especially for participants with little tennis experience or skill. Generally, of the portion of the Cardio Tennis session that is aerobic, 70 percent is devoted to fast-paced tennis-related games and 30 percent devoted to tennis drills. Forehands, backhands and volleys receive a lot of the attention. A game or drill moves quickly, lasting maybe 7 to 15 minutes, so there is no time to get bored. There is typically no serving as part of the class.

Also, there is little or no technical instruction given on strokes, strategy or mental skills. The instructor mainly explains the game or exercise, encourages and motivates the students and reminds us to check our heart rates frequently to ensure we are training in our target zones.

If you like the idea of moving to music and hitting lots of tennis balls, and you want to get out of the gym and onto the tennis court, give Cardio Tennis a try.

This article is courtesy of TennisLife Magazine – www.TennisLife.com  Written by Dr. Robert Heller who is a psychologist, tennis psychology consultant and certified tennis instructor based in Boca Raton, FL. He is the author the mental conditioning program, TennisMind, a frequent speaker to organizations, teams and clubs, and can be reached at www.mentalskillstennis.com, info at robertheller dot net or 561.451.2731.

Benefits of Cardio Tennis

It’s no secret that tennis is great exercise for people of all ages. But Cardio Tennis takes it to another level—and the important thing is, you’re having so much fun, even though you’re working so hard, that you don’t even realize you’re doing some of the best things you possibly can for your health. For many people, CT is a much better fitness option than trying to drag yourself to a gym for a rather routine and boring workout. CT participants consistently get their heart rates into their effective training zones easily because they’re enjoying the activity. When that happens, they burn more calories than in singles or doubles tennis, and more than in many other fitness options. On average, with eight people in a class, women will burn 300 to 500 calories and men 500 to 1,000 calories. Importantly, Cardio Tennis also helps fight obesity. In fact, many people use CT to lose weight (you can read about some these “success stories”—with participants losing as much as 100 pounds—by clicking here). Recently, I was asked to do a Cardio Tennis class for a bride-to-be and her wedding party, because she had gained weight and needed to fit into her wedding dress! Even though the focus of Cardio is on getting a great workout (and the “interval training” aspect of CT is important for a healthy heart and overall fitness), you’re also “playing” tennis, and there’s no better way to train for tennis than by being on the tennis court. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends a minimum of two hours of exercise per week at moderate intensity or one hour per week at high intensity. Cardio Tennis twice per week more than fulfills this recommendation.

Get Fit, Have Fun!

What You Can Expect in Cardio Tennis
• A tennis pro who is engaging and motivating.
• Getting into your target heart rate zone quickly.
• Games and drills that are both “cooperative” and “competitive.”
• A safe, healthy workout designed for everyone, from beginning players to advanced, from kids to seniors.

The Cardio Tennis Difference
In CT, you’re in constant motion—there’s no standing around. After you hit a ball, you do quick footwork and other drills as you get back into position for the next ball. And there are
several key tools that differentiate CT from other types of tennis or “workout” classes.
Heart-rate monitors:
While you don’t have to wear a heart-rate monitor, it helps to ensure a safe and healthy workout. Also, it helps the tennis pro to know who needs to be challenged and who might need some rest a bit. At the end of the class, the monitor will tell you what your average heart rate was, how long you were in your zone and how many calories you burned. Some facilities loan them, but it’s a great training tool for any athletic activity, so you might want to invest in one for yourself.
Music:
This creates a party atmosphere and attracts new players to the game. The music is fast-paced, similar to what you would hear in a group exercise class. Research shows that when people listen to music while working out, they train 33 percent harder, their endurance improves 15 percent and their blood vessels to dilate, which increases blood flow. Believe it or not, CT is changing the way people view music on the court. In fact, some facilities are putting speakers on the courts and playing music throughout the day, not just during Cardio Tennis.
Agility ladder:
This and other on-court tools (cones, throw-down lines, etc.) are great to improve footwork in a fun and challenging way. They keep you moving between shots, rather than standing in line.
Transition balls:
These include foam and low-compression balls. They’re quickly becoming a staple in a teaching pro’s arsenal for all types of lesson programming for all ages. In CT, we might use foam balls in warm-up and cool down exercises and low-compressions balls during the games-based segment. Using low compression balls is advantageous for any ability level. For a group with beginners or new players, this ball moves slower so it gives them more time to react and set-up. If the ability level is mixed these balls equalize the playing field. If the group is advanced
it is much more difficult to hit a clean winner therefore the ball stays in play longer, which is what Cardio Tennis is all about.

Cardio Tennis is a safe, healthy and fun way to work out on the tennis court. It’s for players of all ability levels, provides tremendous health benefits, and is very social with lots of camaraderie. With Cardio, you can do something great for your health, and improve your tennis, too.

This article courtesy of TennisLife Magazine – www.TennisLife.com