Want to be stronger and faster, and improve your tennis
skill? Play soccer! Swim! Go to a spin class! Cross-training in sports has been
around for a long time, and is an important way to develop muscles that
typically are underused in tennis but can help you become stronger and fitter.
One of the best sports to cross-train with is soccer. This doesn’t mean that
you should join a soccer league, but rather, use soccer as a warm-up or play
with tennis friends over the weekend when you have a free chance. Not only is
it intense and a good work out, but the footwork in soccer mimics the small
steps necessary in tennis as well. Balance and coordination can improve, and,
did I mention, it is fun! The only thing that you should adjust is the length
of the field—play on the court from net to fence, constructing two small goals
at either end, or mimic this set up on field. Make sure rules are very strictly
enforced—oftentimes, players get overzealous with soccer and end up breaking a
foot or twisting an ankle. A hard jab from an opponent from foot to shin isn’t
pleasant, but when played right and carefully, soccer can be a great cross-training
sport for tennis.
Swimming is another great cross-training sport. It’s
low-impact, so players with injuries that prevent them from running for fitness
can utilize water sprints that enhance upper body strength and fitness level.
Any kind of swimming will do, but make sure you’re in the pool for extended
amounts of time, between 30 minutes and an hour, and swim laps either as a
replacement for a slow jog or court sprints, which necessitate high speeds and
short breaks rather than continuous slow movement. If you’ve ever seen a
swimmer’s body, you’ll notice their large shoulders and thin legs—tennis players
need shoulder strength, but don’t necessarily need to lift a ton of weight to
get these muscles. Swimming naturally develops these shoulder muscles, and can
be a great cross-training tool.
Spin (otherwise known as biking) is one of my favorite
cross-training tools. Spin is interactive because it’s typically done with
music and an instructor in a gym setting, where the bikes are stationary and
have adjustable weighting to push your legs as if you were pumping weights. The
extended session and adrenaline rush is an intense work out, and not only burns
calories but develops fast-twitch muscles and a great way to tone butt muscles,
quads, and hamstrings without a million squats. I personally love spin and
biking exercises because you still feel like you are working out but you also
are low-impact on your joints. I was bike-bound in college because of a leg injury.
I gained so much speed and explosiveness due to the bike sprints that I did
with our trainers.
Tennis is great, but it also can get intense, and fitness can
become boring and tough. Cross-training keeps you fit, ready for the court, and
also rests your head mentally from the sport while training your body. Soccer
and spin typically are team-orientated, while swim and biking can be done for
people who prefer to work individually.
