Having your own tennis court is a dream for many homeowners, but if you are playing tennis regularly you need to make sure that you warm up properly before each game. This helps you to avoid injuries and helps you recover from each session quickly.
Stretch your wrist and forearm
Your wrists and forearm take a lot of strain when you play tennis, and their overuse can lead to the onset of tennis elbow. That means it is vital that you should stretch them out before you begin to play. To begin the stretch stand with both arms extended in front of your body at shoulder height with the palms facing away and fingers towards the ground.
Use your weaker hand to press the fingers of your racket hand back. Hold this stretch for 30 seconds and then repeat with the other arm. Then turn your palms so they are facing you and repeat the stretch with both hands.
Lunges
Tennis can be very hard on the leg muscles with fast changes of directions and explosive sprinting required on most points. This means that you need to ensure your legs are strong and flexible when on the court, so you should warm up with a circuit of lunges to both build your leg strength and get your legs ready for play on the court.
To carry out lunges you should stand upright and then step one leg forward to create a right angle at the knee, then explode back off that leg to the standing position.
Stretch your back and glutes
Tennis works out the whole of the body so you should stretch out your back and glutes before playing. Lie on the ground face-up and draw up your knees so that they also make contact with your chest – hold them in place with your hands for 30 seconds, making sure that your back and shoulders stay in contact with the ground.
