This at home tennis workout will work your whole body and the only equipment you need is an elastic band! It's an easy 15-20 workout that you can do daily to maintain your body.
1. Dynamic Movement
4-5 Minutes
Every workout needs to start with activities that will raise your core temperature and make your muscles more elastic for the coming workout.
Otherwise, getting into your workout with cold muscles is like stretching an elastic band that you’ve just pulled out of the freezer.
SNAP!
The light aerobic/cardio warm-up should be done at your “talk test pace”, which is a pace/intensity where you can hear your breathing but are still able to maintain a conversation.
So, no “huffing and puffing” … yet.
i) Do some light jogging, biking, or anything else that increases your heart rate/temperature.
Time: 30 seconds.
ii) Run backward with short, quick steps, pumping your arms and landing on the balls of your feet. Keep your chest up and take as many steps as possible.
Time: 30 seconds.
iii) Jumping Jacks are also a great way to warm-up the entire body. Nearly every muscle group is engaged in jumping backs, you’ll work your legs, arms, shoulders, chest, back, and abs.
Time: 30 seconds.
iv) Carioca
The movement of the Carioca is great for improving agility, footwork, and lateral movement.
Begin in a standing position and perform a grapevine pattern, while picking up speed in a sideways direction. Relax your arms at your side and as you run, place one-foot or step in front of the other leg, step out to the side and bring the other leg behind you. Repeat evenly on both sides. Be sure to turn with your pelvis and keep your abs pulled into the back of your spine.
Start slow and then increase your pace once you’ve perfected the movement! You can progress the Karaoke by incorporating your arms into the movement. Keep your shoulders straight and extend the arms at shoulder height to aid with your balance.
Time: 30 seconds.
2. SO SOLID CORE
Core strength is one of the most important aspects for any player but it can be especially useful for tennis players. The body's core helps to stabilize, optimize momentum, and increase power while playing tennis. Additionally, it helps to protect players from sustaining injuries – especially those involving the back. The core involves all of the muscles that are located within the trunk region of the body.
Cat-Camel
1 set 10 reps
The cat and camel back is a gentle exercise that stretches and strengthens the muscles that stabilize the spine, including the back extensors and abdominals.
- Cat: Sink your back down towards the floor and lift your head up at the same time, sticking your tailbone out to make a curve with your spine. Take a big breath out at the same time.
- Camel: Tuck your head and tailbone in, arching through your spine as to mimic a camel hump. Take a big breath in at the same time.
Open Book
1 set 10 reps/Side
The open book mobilization can help to improve thoracic mobility while opening up the chest and frontal shoulder muscles.
- Lying on your side with your knees and hips slightly bent and your hands and arms together on the floor at 90 degrees from your body.
- Now take the top arm off the bottom one and move it up to the ceiling and eventually to the floor on the opposite side of you but still at a 90 degrees angle from your body.
- Your mid back will rotate to that direction therefore gaining a stretch in the mid back.
- Now take your arm back to the start position
Superman
1 set 30 sec hold
The Superman exercise is designed to strengthen and improve stabilization of your lumbar and hip extensors because you're also raising your shoulders in an 'I' formation, it's also a useful exercise for improving strength and stability in your shoulder girdle and upper back musculature.
- Lie facedown on the floor with arms extended overhead.
- Engage your core and glutes and lift your upper and lower body off the floor, as high as you can without straining. Pause at the top. Return to the starting position in a controlled motion.
Dead Bug
1 set 10 reps/Side
Unlike other core exercises like sit-ups, dead bugs target deeper core muscles like the transverse abdominis, pelvic floor, and erector spinae muscle group. Dead bug exercises can improve your coordination.
- Lie down your arms extended straight over your chest so they form a perpendicular angle with your torso. Bend your hips and knees 90-degrees, lifting your feet from the ground. Your torso and thighs should form a right angle, as should your thighs and shins.
- Engage your core, maintaining contact between your lower back and the mat. You want to make sure your spine maintains this steady and neutral position throughout the exercise.
- Keep your right arm and left leg exactly where they are, then slowly reach your left arm backward, over your head and toward the floor as you simultaneously extend your right knee and hip, reaching your right heel toward the floor. Move slowly and steadily, breathing in as you perform the extensions, avoiding any twisting or movement of your hips and abs. Stop the movement just before your arm and leg touch the ground.
- Reverse the movement and return your left arm and right leg to their starting positions. Move slowly and steadily, exhaling as you go.
- Perform the same movements to the opposite sides, this time keeping your left arm and right leg steady as you extend your right arm and left leg.
Bird Dog
1 set 10 reps/Side
The bird dog exercise works the erector spinae, rectus abdominis, and glutes. These muscles allow for correct movement, control, and stability of the whole body.
- Point one arm out straight in front and extend the opposite leg behind you, forming a straight line from your extended hand to your extended foot. Keep your hips squared to the ground. If your low back begins to sag, raise your leg only as high as you can while keeping the back straight.
- Hold for a few seconds, then return to your hands and knees. Keep your abs engaged throughout the entire exercise and work to minimize any extra motion in your hips during the weight shift.
- Switch to the other side.
______________________________________________________________________
3. COME JOIN THE BAND
The benefits of resistance bands include building strength, muscle and flexibility. They’re super affordable and easy to transport.
They great for functional fitness training.
Unlike gym machines, which keep your body moving in one set plane of motion, resistance bands can be pushed and pulled in nearly any way you want, so you’ll develop a degree of motor control and coordination as you use them, says Steele.
Clamshell w/ thigh resist
1 set 30 sec hold/side
The clamshell exercise not only keeps the hips moving, it strengthens both the gluteus medius AND gluteus maximus. The gluteus medius is the main abductor (movement away from the midline of the body) and external rotator of the hip.
- Place the band around both legs, just above the knees.
- Lie on one side with knees at a 45-degree angle, legs and hips stacked.
- Contract your abdominal muscles to stabilize your core.
- Keep your feet in contact with one another as you raise your upper knee as high as you can, without moving the hips or pelvis. Don’t allow your lower leg to move off of the floor.
- Pause at the top for a few seconds before returning the top knee to the starting position.
Isometric Squat w/thigh resist
2 sets 30 sec hold
The isometric squat is an excellent addition to any exercise routine because it can improve muscle endurance and support your dynamic exercises. Holding a squat for a longer period of time can help build muscle in your quads, glutes, and hip flexors, ultimately making your squat stronger.
- Put your feet through the loop of a flat band and pull it up to your thighs, just above your knees. There should be a slight amount of tension on the band.
- Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and flat on the floor in the beginning squat position.
- Carefully lower yourself into the squat keeping the tension on the band as you bend your knees.
- Return to the starting position, pressing your knees outward slightly to keep the band in place.
External rotations
1 set 20 reps/side
- Attach one end of a resistance band to sturdy object about stomach level. Grab the other end in your right hand with an overhand grip.
- Stand perpendicular to where the band is attached with your feet about shoulder-width apart.
- Hold the band in the hand of the shoulder you wish to exercise and bend your elbow 90 degrees. Keep your elbow tucked into the side of your body with your hand over your navel.
- Slowly rotate your shoulder outwards.
- Your hand should move outward until the back of your hand faces behind you. Hold the end position for two seconds.
- Slowly allow your arm to return to the starting position.
Internal Rotations
1 set 20 reps/side
- Attach one end of a resistance band to sturdy object about stomach level. Grab the other end in your right hand with an overhand grip.
- Step 2: Next, turn around so the attached end is behind your back. Stand tall and bring your right elbow up so that your upper arm is in line with your shoulder. Bend your elbow 90 degrees so your forearm is perpendicular to the ceiling. This is the starting position.
- Step 3: Begin exercise by rotating your forearm down so that your forearm is parallel to the ground, or until you feel a comfortable stretch in your shoulder. Slowly reverse movement back to starting position.
_____________________________________________________________________
FLEX
90/90 Self catch
1 set 10 reps/side
The 90/90 stretch targets many of the muscles surrounding the hip capsule, including your glutes, piriformis, psoas, hip flexors, hip abductors, and adductors. The 90/90 stretch can help improve mobility in your hips, and mobility is key for reducing pain and improving function.
- Sit on the floor and bend one leg in front of your body with your hip rotated out. ...
- Position your other leg beside you with your hip rotated inward and your shin and ankle on the ground. ...
- Try to keep your back straight and resist the urge to bend to one side.
Heel Raise
1 set 10 reps/side
Raising your heels creates an ankle extension engaging three muscles: the medial gastrocnemius, the lateral gastrocnemius and the soleus. Strengthening the gastrocnemius muscles is key to driving power when you sprint and jump, and the soleus muscle enables endurance.
- Start by standing upright with your feet flat on the ground.
- Balance your weight on the balls of your feet and lift your heels up as far as comfortable; try to squeeze your calf muscles at the top of the lift.
- Slowly drop your heel back to the ground and repeat.