With the Australian Open reigniting our love for tennis, it’s important to know the toll this high-speed sport can take on the body..
Plenty of tennis players come through Fluidform that have muscle imbalances due to its demanding nature, and this is where Pilates proves to be invaluable! Just like Serena Williams (who swears by it), Pilates builds strength and flexibility, improves balance and coordination, enhancing a player’s performance. Here’s how:
Tennis: a high-speed, high-impact sport. It involves plenty of rotation and spinal extension movements.
Pilates: focuses on developing strength in your deep stabilising muscles and brings balance to the body.
SO, WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU ADD PILATES & TENNIS TOGETHER?
Tennis and Pilates are a match made in heaven.
Tennis requires quick reflexes, agility, and a strong core. As the body mostly works in a one-sided pattern, tennis players may experience imbalances in their joints and muscles. Pilates focuses on core stability, flexibility, and overall body strength, providing a solid foundation for tennis players. The controlled movements in Pilates help improve balance and coordination, enhancing a player’s performance on the court.
Pilates also helps with injury prevention by addressing the muscle imbalances, making it the perfect training supplement for the dynamic demands of tennis.
“I see a lot of tennis players with imbalances due to the nature of the sport. Fluidform Pilates is a great form of conditioning for the tennis players to work on the opposite side of their body in order to create balance.”
Kirsten King
CORE
Using your core in tennis is fundamental for improved control and balance when hitting your shots.
Having a strong core will help you improve hip rotation, range of motion in the shoulders and back stability.
GLUTES
By strengthening your glutes, it will help stabilise the knee and produce power when moving especially when moving laterally.
SPINE
Tennis relies on the power coming through spinal rotation and extension. This requires a balance of strength and flexibility which Pilates is effective at building.
FLUIDFORM WORKOUTS TO IMPROVE YOUR TENNIS GAME
While any Fluidform workout would be beneficial, here are some of our top picks specifically designed to target the areas of the body predominantly used in tennis:
- Mini Arms & Obliques 1
- Mini Abs 8
- Mini Legs & Glutes 6
- Mini Abs 32
- Total Body 17
Or, you can visit any of our studios in-person for a highly individualised experience.
