How I Stayed Fit For Tennis !
(Through the Canadian Winter and pandemic lockdowns)
With all the restrictions that we all have lived over the past year, I had to be pretty inventive to try and keep up my conditioning. At 63, the body does not spring back the way it used to like four or five years ago.
I went out to hit a ball for the second time in almost a year and a half this past weekend. While I am sore today, I can not imagine the world of hurt that I would be in if I hadn’t been doing some simple and easy routines throughout the pandemic.
In this post, I am going to share with you some of the equipment that I purchased and used throughout the pandemic and then share my weekly routine.
To me, maintaining a decent level of cardiac fitness was key. If you get exhausted after the first swing of your racquet, you just might as well pack it in and call it a day. Walking initially was what I did to get some cardio. But I was finding that the intensity was not high enough. Being old with bad knees, running on concrete sideways did not give me any pleasure whatsoever!
When it was clear last winter that the gyms would not be opening for a while yet, I invested in a Saris M2 bicycle trainer. To me, it was my number one best investment.
Saris tips and tricks: Before purchasing the Saris trainer, here are a few things I would recommend. Ensure that your bike is in good condition. I would recommend that if you don’t want to or don’t have the tools to do so that you take it into your preferred bike shop for a tune-up.
Next, make sure you read all the instructions that you get with the trainer. Gents, I know it looks easy and it is, but reading all the safety precautions is a must especially if you are older. It is a long way to fall!
Make sure you purchase the recommended training tire and install or have it installed. The flywheel is very hard on the normal street tire. Also, the Saris comes with a different wheel spindle that should be used. I learned this the hard way as the clamping system works much better with it than what comes with your bike tires. That drop off the Saris abruptly can be a significant jolt…. I know!
Finally, get a small step or something secure that you can use to swing onto and off of your bike seat. When clamped in, your bike seat will be 5 to 6 inches higher off the ground than usual. It means you must be able to swing your leg over a seat that is that much higher or have a bike without the post that runs between the seat and handlebar posts.
My next piece of cardio equipment is a good skipping rope. I have stated already that I have bad knees and feet from the years of pounding that they have taken. I would recommend that you use your judgement when it comes to skipping. I do not do a prolonged period of skipping. But maybe a minute or two during one of my walks. I do it on the parkette lawn which is easier on my lower body.
Two times a week I do a bodyweight training routine. Or I use the resistance bands to get a workout that helps me focus on upper body strength.
Two or three times a week, I will then do a yoga routine. Seeing some of the positions Djokovic gets himself into on the tennis court makes me cringe. But a few years ago, I managed somehow to get myself into a position that was only about a third as deep as his side split. The problem was once I got into that position, I didn’t bounce back out. I started yoga the next week! It is great for your balance as well as your overall well-being.
Finally, I have recently invested in a massage gun. It is part of my regular cool-down routine. I spend a lot of time on my legs – quads, hamstrings and calves. I have found I cramp less later in the night in bed.
Here is a quick look at my weekly schedule:
Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
Light Indoor Cycle or outdoor walk (weather dependant) followed with a good stretch | Upper body resistance bands work out. Meditation | HIIT Cycle followed by a yoga session | Rest day | Medium length indoor cycle session (45 mins with a good sweat) or walk with a 5 min skip session. | A resistance band workout OR bodyweight workout. | Yoga |
HIIT = High-intensity interval training. 30 secs fast pedal/2 minutes slow to medium speed pedalling.
Ageing sucks! Hence as we age, nutrition and supplements become extremely important. Everything should be in moderation. In a later blog, I will write about diet. In this edition, I will talk a bit about the supplements that I am currently using. In the past year, I started taking a testosterone booster. The current brand is Nugenix. Taking it I feel more alert and energetic throughout the day. Omega 3 is for cardiac and cognitive benefits. During the pandemic and after some research, I added Vitamin D to my daily intake. These supplements are on top of my daily multivitamin.
When I play tennis, especially in the summer, I like to have a shaker or water bottle of Biosteel supplement to help replace electrolytes and help me recover faster (This aids in not spend all night after playing cramping in bed!)
Once my indoor tennis club opens up in the next few days, I will add a couple days of tennis into the mix. That said let’s get in shape and get out there! Maybe we will meet on the court soon.