Stay Fit; Avoid Burn Out  

These days one single word, POWER, seems to rule the tennis circuit - for both men and women.  

With tennis becoming faster by each passing day and players displaying more power-play in hitting the ball from all corners of the court, the strength training has become imperative for the future Nadals or Venuses or Serenas.  

However, a recent finding of a British research team has made the parents confront a difficult question: so far as overall training is concerned, how much is too much for their tennis playing kids? 

An article published in Journal of Sports Medicine highlights on a spine chilling fact: Young UK tennis players are ‘at risk’. Actually, not the UK kids, the young tennis players all around the world who are encouraged to take up power tennis as their future profession are exposed to same level of risks.  

The finding clearly stated that “The intensive training given to young elite tennis players damages their spines”. The study carried on 33 elite-level tennis players revealed: 85 percent had some sort of abnormality in the lower spine. MRI scans further revealed damage to the joints at the back of the spine, stress fractures and herniated discs. All these indicate to an increased risk of injury during their tennis career ahead. 

The research called for detection of all such abnormalities, so that training can be modified to prevent the risk of progressive musculoskeletal damage and risks of future injuries. 

What the British scientists prescribe for the young UK tennis players can be applicable for the tennis players in the other parts of the world too—they prescribed for:

• A more scientific preparation method to ensure the body is ready to play.
• Spending more time in the gym than on the court hitting the ball.

Here are some more tips to avoid over training and injury and burnout that follow it.  

1. If you are a passionate tennis player this is high time that you consider this:“No matter what level you play, you can burn out if tennis becomes allencompassing,” —Billy Martin, coach of the UCLA men’s tennis team, the 2005 NCAA champions.You need to take breaks from time to time from your routine of intensive training program, if you want to deliver your best. 

2. Never expect your pains will go away automatically. Immediately pay attention to something you don’t feel right. Applying ice after every training session is a good preventive measure.  

3. Never forget to stretch before and after the play; for the right kind of blood circulation go for dynamic stretching prior to play and static stretching afterward. 4. Start strength training with ‘body-weight’ exercises, which uses the athlete’s own body weight as the resistance.  These exercises include push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups (crunches, bicycles, etc), ‘supermans’, body weight lunges and squats, and step-ups. 

Reasonable strength training can augment a player’s on the court performance. So there is no reason why strength and conditioning work will not be a part of your young tennis playing son’s training plan; only make sure—as suggested by the
UK researchers— the program is properly run and supervised.

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