Personally, I’m not one of those people who loves to sweat. In fact, if I’m really honest, when I get my heart rate up, I just want it to go down again. I hate the gym and walking on a treadmill or taking a spinning class. I know I need to do more cardio to give me an edge on the court, lose weight and improve my health, but I want my cardio to be fun and social.

I’m an avid doubles tennis player, so when I found about cardio tennis I decided to give it a try. I was dubious at first, but the lure of burning up to 600 calories an hour seemed to be too good a claim to pass by.

What it is
A typical 1-hour cardio tennis workout consists of:
•A short warm-up (5-10 minutes)
•A cardio workout phase (30-50 minutes)
•A cool-down phase (5-10 minutes)

The drills are done in short, high-intensity cycles (similar to interval training), the best for burning calories.

Caveats
If you’re looking to improve your technique, cardio tennis isn’t the way to do it. It’s more about running than good tennis, although you hit so many balls on the run that you’re bound to boost your game.

Concerns
• I won’t be able to keep up. You can step out of the drill line as you need to to catch your breath. Plus the drills are done in short, high-intensity cycles (similar to interval training), the best for burning calories.
• I’m not a good-enough tennis player. Cardio tennis is more about running than good tennis, although you hit so many balls on the run that you’re bound to improve your game.
• I can’t do aerobic exercise for a full hour. The session goes by quickly because it’s a fun and social experience (with water and ball pick-up breaks!).

What do I do if I…
• Get a side stitch from running so much?
o Stop for a second and breathe deeply to get more oxygen to the diaphragm
o Knead the pain out with your fingers

• Get a muscle cramp in my legs?
o Drink lots of water
o Knead and stretch the muscle
o Get a massage afterwards

• Get pain in my swinging arm?
o Take ibuprofen afterwards
o Ice the arm post-exercise
o Wear an arm brace next time