How to Tennis Warm-Up the Right Way to Avoid Injury
Tennis, anyone? Summer is the perfect time to play, though whether you’re an avid player or just picking up a racket for the first time, you should never skip a proper tennis warm-up.
The reason? You’re using muscles that you don’t use in your day-to-day activities. When you don’t warm those muscles up, you run a much higher risk of injury. Having an injury will put you on the bench the rest of the summer for tennis and any other activities you wish to do.
So, what tennis warm-up exercises should you do? Keeping it simple with exercises you know can surely help. Start with some jumping jacks, then move to squats. Planks are great for engaging your core which will support all your movements. And as one of the best overall exercises, pushups should be included in your warm-up. Don’t forget to do arm circles and butt kicks to cover all muscle groups.
Ideally, you should spend a minimum of 5 minutes doing a tennis warm-up before getting into more specific tennis drills. For the best results though, 10 minutes is a great warm-up number to shoot for.
One Common Tennis Warm-Up Mistake to Avoid
Aside from skipping a warm-up altogether, the biggest mistake people make when approaching tennis is not stretching or stretching at the wrong time. Dynamic stretches should be done after that warm-up. This way, your muscles will really benefit from those stretches.
Once you finish those stretches, you can go into more specific tennis drills. Hitting ground strokes, practicing serves, taking turns with left and right hand serves, and doing a few quick volleys are all great ways to complete your pre-match warm-up sessions. Making sure you do the warm-up, stretches, and tennis drills in this order helps to keep you from muscle strains and sprains.
After you play a friendly game of tennis, don’t forget to stretch again to cool down. This also prevents those sore muscles and injuries. An even better way to ensure you’ll be in the swing of things all summer long is to get a massage before and after your tennis games.
Massages before a match can get the muscles ready for action. That doesn’t mean you can skip that warm-up though. And naturally, after a tennis match, you will love the feeling of a professional massage. Not only will it help you relax and unwind, but it will also ensure your muscles recover more quickly.
There’s no need to drive all over town for a massage or sit in a waiting room. With In Your Home Therapy, our massage therapists come to you in the privacy of your home, gym, or office. Get the muscle warm-up before and after you hit the courts by setting up an appointment at your convenience today!
