5 Exercises to Impove the Power of Your Tennis Game

Tennis is a sport that requires excellent eye-hand coordination, good agility, and keen spatial awareness.  Besides the physical and mental challenge, tennis requires both anaerobic and aerobic conditioning.  Tennis is one of the sports that can be played at a relatively high level well past the age of 50.  The major areas of concern for the older tennis player is the stop-and-go, forward-and-backward, and lateral movements which place considerable stress on the legs and ankles.  Also, the shoulder, elbow, and wrist of the racket arm are subject to overuse injuries.  A proper strength training program can reduce the risk of tennis related injuries as well as enhance performance power.

Below are five staple exercises that will greatly enhance your tennis game at any age.

Leg Press

Let's begin with the powerful leg muscles that generate the force necessary for hard hitting ground strokes as well as fast movement across the court. The leg press is one of the best exercises to strengthen your legs to accomplish this. First, sit in the seat, positioning your feet about shoulder width apart and chest high on the platform. Adjust the seat height by pulling the handle and sliding forward until your thighs are parallel to the platform. This is your start position (make sure that your lower back is pressed firmly against the back of the seat). With your feet flat, slowly press upward until your legs are fully extended but short of locking. Slowly return to the position where the weight almost touch the weight stack. The breathing pattern for this exercise is to exhale as you press up and inhale as you return to the start. Do 3 sets of 10 repetitions at a resistance which the last 3 repetitions are hard to complete.

Calf Raises

Because of the stop-and-go movement that require almost continuous force production and shock absorption in the lower leg muscles performing an exercise to strengthen this area is critical. Standing calf raises is the best exercise for this.

Calf raises strengthen your calves and help keep your Achilles tendons healthy. First, stand on the machine and adjust the shoulder pad to a position where the weight comes about six inches off the stack when you are standing straight. Next, step onto the platform with the ball of your feet, and stand-up straight. (Do not lock your legs). This is your start position. Slowly lower your heels down as far as possible, and then come up on your toes as far as possible. Your breathing pattern is to exhale as you are lifting up and inhale as you are going down. Do 3 sets of 15 repetitions at a resistance which the last 3 repetitions are hard to complete.

Seated Ball Twist

The power generated by the large leg muscles is transferred to the upper body through the muscles of the midsection. Seated ball twist is an excellent choice for strengthening these muscles.

Sit on the floor with a slight bend in your legs. Hold a therapeutic ball with your arms fully extended in front of you. Lean back slightly, pick your chest up high and pull in your naval. Now, turn your shoulders to one side, and touch the ball to the floor. Then turn to the other side, and do the same. A complete revolution counts as one repetition. Be sure you arms stay extended throughout this exercise. Breathing pattern is to exhale as you touch the ball to the floor and inhale as you bring the ball across your body. Do 3 sets of 20 repetitions each way.

Dumbbell Chest Press

The muscles of the chest are heavily involved in the racket swing and the dumbbell chest press is a very good exercise for strengthening this area. Pick-up a dumbbell in each hand, and sit on the end of a bench. Place the dumbbells end-up on your knees, then lay back on the bench and position the dumbbells chest height at your sides. This is your start position. Press the dumbbells up over your chest until your arms are fully extended, being careful not to lock your elbows. Slowly return the dumbbells to the start position. Your breathing pattern is to exhale as you press up and inhale as you return to the starting position. Do 3 sets of 10 repetitions at a resistance which the last 3 repetitions are hard to complete.

Seated Row

Developing strength of the upper back muscles is crucial for a powerful racket swing. The seated row is a great exercise to develop and strengthen these muscles. Sit on the bench, place your feet on the foot rests, and grasp the handle (use the triangle shaped attachment). Now, slide back on the bench to where your legs are extended with a slight bend in your knees, and lift your chest high. This is your start position. Slowly pull your hands to your naval, while rolling your shoulders back and squeezing your shoulder blades toward your spine. Slowly return to you start position. Exhale as you pull the weight toward you and inhale as you return to the start position. Do 3 sets of 10 repetitions at a resistance which the last 3 repetitions are hard to complete.

12 Amazing Exercise Benefits That Aren't About Weight Loss - Hello HealthyHello Healthy

Losing weight isn't the only reason to exercise on a regular basis.  Below is a great article by Kristina LaRue RD, CSSD, LDN about the benefits exercise has on your overall health and well-being.

12 Amazing Exercise Benefits That Aren't About Weight Loss - Hello HealthyHello Healthy

5 Easy Rotator Cuff Exercises

I recently wrote a post about 3 exercises to help keep your shoulders healthy.  But, for those of you who already have shoulder pain here's the link to a great article on how to rehab your shoulders.  5 simple exercises you can do at home to help alleviate your pain in just a few weeks.

5 Easy Rotator Cuff Exercises

Three Exercises for Keeping Healthy Shoulders

Your shoulders are one of the largest and most complex joints in your body and also has the most range of motion of all the joints in your body.  There is hardly any upper body movement in which your shoulders are not involved.  Thus, having strong and healthy shoulders is critical to most of the things you do everyday from brushing your teeth to bringing home a bag of groceries.  

Below are three exercises I do on a weekly basis to keep my shoulders healthy and strong.  Use a resistance with which you can do 8 to 10 repetitions of which the last 3 repetitions are difficult to complete with proper form.

Arnold Press

Use a bench that has a back support for this exercise.  Sit upright, holding a dumbbell in each hand close together at nose height, with your palms facing inward.  This is your start position.  Rotate your palms forward and bring the dumbbells back to your ears.  Then, press the dumbbells overhead until your arms are fully extended.  Now, bring the dumbbells back down to ear level, and return to your start position.  Exhale as you rotate the dumbbells forward and press up, and inhale as you bring them back to the start position.

Lateral Raise

Start by holding a dumbbell in each hand in front of you.  Position your feet shoulder width apart, slightly bend your knees, and hold your chest high.  This is your starting position.  Bend your elbows slightly and raise your hands out to your sides about shoulder height (with your palms facing down).  Then return to your starting position.  Be careful to keep your forearm and your elbow at the same level at the finish of this movement.  Your breathing pattern is to exhale as you raise your arms up and inhale as you return to start.

Upright Cable Row

 

The upright row strengthens and develops the top portion of your trapezius -the muscle at the top of your shoulders that attaches to your neck.  Perform this exercise at the cable machine.  Attach a straight bar, and placing the pulley at the lowest level.  Grip the bar at a position where your hands are about an inch apart, and stand upright with your arms fully extended.  Position your feet shoulder width apart, slightly bend your knees, and lift your chest high.  This is your start position.  Pull your hands to the top of your chest, while keeping your elbows slightly higher than your hands. Then return to the start position.  Exhale as you pull the weight upward, and inhale as you return to the start position.

 

The Over 50 Golf Power Training Program - Leg and Hip Strength

Older golfers often experience injuries to their backs, shoulders, elbows, wrists, and hips.  The most probable cause of these injuries is due to the powerful ballistic swinging action involved in driving the ball.  Thus, older golfers must do sufficient strength training to condition their muscles, and joints that both produce and receive the high force levels of the golf swing.  Below are two exercises to help strengthen and condition the power producing muscles of your legs and hips.  Perform these two exercises twice each week and you will see a marked improvement in your driving distance.

Leg Press

The leg press is one of the best exercises for overall strength and development of your legs. First, sit in the seat, positioning your feet about shoulder width apart and chest high on the platform. Adjust the seat height by pulling the handle and sliding forward until your thighs are parallel to the platform. This is your start position (make sure that your lower back is pressed firmly against the back of the seat). With your feet flat, slowly press upward until your legs are fully extended but short of locking. Slowly return to the position where the weight almost touch the weight stack. The breathing pattern for this exercise is to exhale as you press up and inhale as you return to the start. Do two sets of 10 to 12 repetitions at a resistance with which the last three repetitions are hard to complete.
 

Step-ups

Step ups are great for strengthening and  developing the muscles of your hips. With this exercise you will do 10 repetitions on one leg followed by 10 repetitions with the other. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and position yourself in front of a bench. Place one foot flat on top of the bench, positioning your body to make a right angle at your knee. With your chest held high and shoulders square step up through your heel and lightly tap the bench with your other foot before returning to the starting position. Breathing pattern for this exercise is to exhale as you step up and inhale as you step back down. Do two sets of 10 repetitions each leg at a resistance with which the last three repetitions are hard to complete.

If you find that you can't drive the golf ball like you use to, it's most likely due to muscle loss which means a decline in your strength.  The good news is you can preserve and even build stronger muscles no matter your age.  The above exercises are from my soon to be released e-book called The Over 50 Golf Power Training Program.  Look for it soon!