Get your body ready to play

If you want longevity in tennis, warming up and stretching are key elements to avoid injuries, which are often related to your muscles and joints not being properly prepared. If you do not usually warm up before your practices and matches, here is a list with a few key warm up exercises for you to add to your tennis routine.

Jumping rope: Still a great way to get your heart rate up and your body ready for action! Always have one in your Slinger Bag. Do it for at least a couple of minutes each time you go out on court.

Elastic bands: Make sure to buy the right resistance level for you. Wrap it around a pole or the net and engage in repetitive open-close kinds of movements with arms and legs. Start very light, but with enough resistance to engage your muscles.

Shadowing: Make sure to spend at least 1 minute doing the motions you will soon do with a ball, but without it! Very lightly and loosely hit a few shadow forehands, backhand and serves. Start by doing it stating on place, but later make sure to engage your legs too.

Mini-tennis: Avoid starting directly from the baseline. Instead, engage in some light rallies from the service line to get your body slowly up to speed. Besides, this is a great way to start with some fun mini-tennis games if you got a partner. It will not only warm your body up, but also work on your touch and feel.