When you hear the word “tennis”, Iga Świątek immediately comes to mind. Ever since Iga beat Sofia Kenin 6:4, 6:1 in the French Open women’s final in October 2020, Iga-mania has spread all over Poland. Those who remember Małysz-mania from the early 2000s know well that watching championships can be addictive. With Adam Małysz, following in the footsteps of the champion was no easy task... but tennis is much more accessible. So how about stepping away from the TV and getting your racket?
It’s worth a try! Playing tennis engages many muscle groups. During a standard tennis practice, you run a total of about 4 km, burning about 600 kcal. You change directions, use different strokes, and train your focus and reflexes. Your body will be grateful for this effort! Playing tennis is not only a way to lose the unwanted weight, but also an excellent cardiovascular exercise. No wonder tennis has lost nothing of its appeal for so many years. And where there is demand, there will always be supply. Did you know that approximately 300 million tennis balls are manufactured every year?
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No jasne, że warto! Gra w tenisa wymaga zaangażowania bardzo wielu grup mięśniowych. Podczas standardowego treningu tenisowego przebiegamy ok. 4 km, spalając ok. 600 kcal. Zmieniamy kierunek, przeplatamy ruchy, a do tego ćwiczymy koncentrację i refleks. Nasz organizm nas za to doceni! Gra w tenisa może być sposobem nie tylko na „zrzucenie” zbędnych kilogramów, ale stanowi także doskonały trening kardio. Nic dziwnego, że tenis od lat nie traci na popularności. A jeśli jest popyt, to jest także i podaż. Czy wiesz, że rocznie produkuje się ok. 300 mln piłek tenisowych?
Another advantage of this sport: you can adjust the duration of your training to your performance level (which – believe it – will be improving week by week). Do not start by playing for hours. As the saying goes, many a mickle... But then again, some are into breaking records. The longest tennis match in history was between Nicolas Mahut and John Isner in 2010. The players competed at Wimbledon for 11 hours and 5 minutes!
But don’t worry – you don’t have to be a pro athlete! For starters, treat the sport as a good fun. If you play with friends or family, spending time together is a pleasure in and of itself. There are never too many ways to have fun, laugh and relax after work. Why? Because laughing improves your health.
Evidence? Laughter activates from 5 to 53 facial muscles. Scientists have proven that laughing 100 times is an exercise equivalent to a 10-minute workout on a rowing machine. As you can see, tennis is a multifunctional training with an added bonus of boosting your relationships. Losing weight, building physical endurance, improving reflexes and enhancing your mood. What else could you ask for? So – get your racket!
Did you know that...
- The Guinness record for the fastest serve of a tennis ball is held by Samuel Groth who hit a serve at 263 km/h in 2012!
- The world’s first tennis club was founded in the UK in 1872.
- The oldest of the Grand Slam tournaments is the Wimbledon Championship held for the first time in 1877.
- 54,000 tennis balls are used on average in the Wimbledon tournament.
- The oldest active tennis court was built for King Henry VIII in 1526-1529.
- The World Tennis Day is celebrated on the first Monday of March every year.
- The loudest shriek during a tennis match was made by Maria Sharapova at Wimbledon in 2009. It was measured at 105 decibels (a jackhammer and a chainsaw generate 110 decibels each).
- Historically, the tennis court had an hourglass shape. It became rectangular in 1875.
- The shortest tennis match on record took place in 1969 and was over in only 20 minutes.