The Benefits of Tennis for Weight Loss

Playing tennis is a great way to lose a few pounds but there are many other benefits too. Tennis is a terrific and fun way to improve fitness and build co-ordination whilst opening up a whole new fun social scene. Tennis helps you to lose weight, to get fit and to make friends - what could be better than that?

The closest that many of us get to playing tennis is watching one of the Grand Slams on the television. Tennis club membership fees often see an increase immediately following a Grand Slam, particularly if one of the favorites has put up a good showing - unfortunately for many people paying their membership fees is as far as they get and that's won't help you to lose pounds, it'll only help you to lose bucks.

Many people shy away from tennis as part of their fitness program because it looks too darned difficult and they're worried that they'll spend the majority of their court time fetching wayward tennis balls from around the court. The thing to remember is that tennis of any standard is good for you and enjoyable - it really can be as relaxing or as strenuous as you want. The game of tennis requires a combination of physical and mental demands which help to build fitness, lose weight and improve co-ordination.

So how much weight will you lose when playing tennis? Well, that all depends on you and how hard you play. The weight and exertion level is a big factor when you're looking at weight loss and calorie burning on the tennis court but the extra calories burned in a half hour tennis session could be anywhere between 100 and 150 - not counting the fun factor.

The key to really enjoying tennis as part of your weight loss program is to find other players who are of a similar level to yours. Even the most uncompetitive people will soon get fed up of playing someone who is much better at the sport than they are. If you spend the entire half hour collecting balls which have whizzed across the court and past you at an alarming rate it soon gets boring.

Start off slowly with people of a similar standard and just play for twenty minutes or so three times per week until your fitness level improves.  If you gradually build up your tennis time to a couple of hours each week you'll be amazed at how much your game can improve and your weight will fall off.

Don't worry about buying the most expensive tennis gear and kit bag. Unless you plan to keep it up and play regularly there really is no need to spend a lot of money on your tennis gear.

" Shoes are important, they must cradle your feet and provide adequate support

" Tennis rackets cost as much or as little as you are prepared to spend - your local sports store should be able to tell you which rackets offer the best value for money

Tennis and weight loss really is a great combination. You can get fit, lose weight and make a bunch of new friends all at the same time, perfect.