What is Tennis Fitness Training?

Tennis fitness training is a form of sport-specific training designed for tennis players. The top tennis players in the world use fitness plans developed and customized for their needs by their coaches. Other people can consult with personal trainers and tennis coaches to get advice on creating a tennis fitness training program, or use books that provide information and assistance with fitness training, including recommended workout schedules that people can use as a basis for the program.

Tennis is a physically demanding sport. Players need to be capable of high intensity bursts of energy, but they also need the endurance to make it all the way through a match. Coordination, flexibility, and agility are also important as tennis players move around all over the court and need to be able to respond quickly as the game evolves. People who play tennis professionally and who want to develop their amateur games need tennis fitness training to be able to take their performance to the next level.

Fitness training schedules are designed around the tennis playing schedule so that players can focus on developing their game on the court and avoid injuries. The training schedule is kept diverse to prevent boredom and further reduce the risk of injury by working different areas of the body on different days. A good tennis fitness training program includes exercises to develop all aspects of a player's game, including endurance-building activities like running, strength training to develop muscles, and coordination exercises to help with agility on the court.

Aerobic and anaerobic exercise are usually included in a tennis fitness training program. Tennis conditioning can include working with weight machines, doing directed stretches to develop muscle strength and tone, and engaging in related sports like squash and badminton to develop skills that will be valuable on the tennis court. Training also allows players to keep fit when they cannot get out on the court.

The level of intensity in tennis fitness training can be adjusted for the needs of the player. People who are just starting to get fit for tennis may have relatively low intensity programs, as will tennis players who want to stay fit while also resting up for a match. As people develop more fitness and tennis skills, the fitness training can become more demanding and complex. Having a trainer or coach direct the training can help players push themselves to perform better, reducing the risk of reaching a fitness plateau and hovering there.