Stressed out? Make Tennis your go-to for mind and body wellness!

Tennis offers a holistic approach to physical and mental well-being, making it an excellent choice for athletes seeking comprehensive development and enjoyment in sports! Some of the physical and psychological reasons to play tennis include:

Physical Benefits:

• It improves aerobic fitness, burns fat, and enhances cardiovascular health.
• Develops anaerobic fitness through intense bursts of activity followed by rest.
• Enhances acceleration, speed, leg strength, body coordination, gross and fine motor control, agility, dynamic balance, and cross-training benefits.
• Strengthens bones, boosts the immune system, and promotes healthy nutritional habits, eye-hand coordination, and flexibility.

Psychological Benefits:

• Develops a strong work ethic and discipline.
• Encourages effective management of mistakes, competition, responsibility, adversity, stress, recovery, strategic planning, and problem-solving skills.

Tennis and other sports are proven stress-relievers for all ages, but college students should think about the benefits of exercise and play as final exams are only a week away! There is no doubt about the positive influence of sports on young people Many students and the parents of young children take to the fields or courts to exercise regularly, so why not start competing later? When you or your child is involved in any sport and competing regularly, things may go wrong sometimes, and one reason is setting the bar too high.

Unrealistically high goals and expectations can be stressful for you as a young person, and for younger children, leading to negative consequences. So, how do you know when you (or your child) are stressed out?

Stress is expressed with various symptoms in behavior and health.

Behavior symptoms include isolation, aggressiveness, not wanting to participate in activities, “phobias” and insomnia.

Health (physical) symptoms can include pain in the abdomen (stomach), chest pain, dyspnea and frequent vomiting.

It’s essential to notice when the above changes appear so you can be honest with yourself, or have a friendly conversation with your child to let them know they have their full support and that they shouldn’t feel guilty for “not meeting your expectations.”

Here are some tips to help you, or your young athlete, feel stress-free:

1. Lower expectations.
2. Be supportive and understanding.
3. Show faith in your/their skills.
4. Let your child play!

Remember, your (or your child’s) well-being is more important than their ranking or performance points. When searching for a sport to help support mental health, tennis is an excellent choice, as recognized by world-renowned scientists from various disciplines; there is no doubt that tennis is one of the best sports for you to play.

Adapted from “Health Benefits of Tennis: Why Play Tennis?” and “Why stress is the most common reason young athletes quit sports,” by Dimitri Penchev MD, PhD for www.Q5tennis.com