Playing tennis is not only a thrill, but also a full-fledged workout that combines cardio and functional load. (In other words, you will not only burn calories, but also tone your body.)
Tennis coach and founder of the tennis school Daria Polyakova will tell you about several exercises that will help you prepare for a game or simply improve your figure.
Plie squats
This exercise targets several areas of the legs at once: the glutes, quadriceps, and hamstrings.
How to do it: your feet should be wider than your shoulders, your toes turned outward – this position allows you to give maximum load to the inner thighs and buttocks. To start, do 3 sets of 10 repetitions. To complicate the exercise, you can take a dumbbell and hold it in your hands between your legs.
Forward lunges
Lunges also strengthen the leg muscles, especially the buttocks. This is the main movement in tennis, which we use with every shot – thanks to its practice, athletes can move around the court and perform shots more easily. This exercise will help you in another way – to give your buttocks a super shape.
How to do it: Place your feet shoulder-width apart, keep your back straight. Take a wide step forward so that you bend your back leg at 90 degrees – your thigh should be perpendicular to the floor. Watch your front knee – it should not go beyond your foot. Do three sets of 10 reps on each leg.
Leg swings with elastic band
In my opinion, this is the best exercise for the inner thigh. In tennis it is necessary, because we have a lot of lateral movements, and in life – to tighten this area of the leg.
How to do it: Attach the fitness band to a sofa or bed, put your foot in the loop. Keep your supporting leg in place, move the other forward and to the side. Do three sets of 10 reps on each leg. To make the exercise more difficult, move a little further away from the bed
“Crocodile” or advanced plank
In addition to the legs, the core is very important in tennis, and the plank is great for developing its strength.
How to do it: get into a plank position and alternately lift your left leg and right arm and stretch them out. Do three sets of 10 times on each side.
Classic push-ups
Strong arms and a strong back are very important in tennis, so classic push-ups, which also improve the shape of the chest, are a must for us. To make the exercise easier, you can do push-ups from a chair or from the floor, but from your knees. Do three sets of 10-15 reps.