Fitness: Welcome to the world of Cardio Tennis - Healthy Life ...

Tennis with a Shot of Caffeine

By Sandra Diamond Fox/HealthyLife

Run, jump, swing, hit ? smile. If you ask Albany resident Rebecca Vaccariello to describe the workout she has engaged in once a week for the past three years, she would reply ?what workout?? To her, Cardio Tennis is play.

?This doesn?t feel like a workout. It feels like you?re just playing. That?s how much fun this is. I?m addicted,? Vaccariello says.

She?s not alone. Created in 2005 by the United States Tennis Association ? the national governing body for the sport of tennis ? Cardio Tennis is a high-energy fitness activity that offers a full-body, calorie-burning aerobic workout. Cardio Tennis classes are currently offered in eight countries around the world.

Here?s how it works. A certified instructor feeds students balls from all over the tennis court. ?Sometimes I am across the net and sometimes I am in front of the players. I have them moving in different patterns [so] as to keep each class fast-paced, challenging and, most importantly, fun,? says Mike Muscato, director of player development at Capital Region Tennis & Fitness in Albany, who has been teaching Cardio Tennis for five years. Muscato is certified with the USTA and the Professional Tennis Registry.

The typical Cardio Tennis program is 60 to 90 minutes, and includes a warm-up, cardio workout, and cool-down segment, as well as games at the end. Unlike regular tennis, keeping score is not part of the game plan.

?Cardio Tennis was created as a way to introduce a healthy alternative to just playing singles or doubles, as well as to bring new players into tennis,? says Muscato, who lives in Amsterdam. Muscato has also taught Cardio Tennis at Bethlehem Town Park and at Siena College in Colonie.

Cardio Tennis is unique in that experienced tennis players can play on the same court at the same time with those who have never played a game of tennis, according to Muscato. ?I can tailor each class not only to students? individual abilities, but follow the progress of each student in order to challenge them each time. If I have the same eight people two weeks in a row, I?ll make the drills harder and longer so students have to work harder to get better at them,? he says.

The goal of Cardio Tennis is to train in your heart rate zone ? the heart rate achieved during exercise that benefits your heart and lungs ? for 30-50 minutes of a 60-minute workout. Target heart rate zones are based on maximum heart rate, a number that varies slightly by age. To determine your target heart rate, first figure out your maximum heart rate, which is 220 minus your age. If you?re 35 years old, your maximum heart rate is 185 beats per minute, or BPM. If you?re 45 years old, your maximum heart rate is 175 BPM. Your target heart rate zone is between 50 percent and 85 percent of your maximum heart rate. So for a 35-year-old, theis zone is 93 to 157 BPM; for a 45-year-old, the zone is 88 to 149 BPM.

When you get on the court, be prepared to begin moving and not slow down for the entire class. ?In my class, there is no standing around,? Muscato says. ?You are moving your feet the entire time.?

Students rotate between hitting the ball and engaging in other kinds of activities that involve continuous movement, such as jumping rope and jumping over hurdles. ?In a typical class, students travel four miles. Everyone is sweating. Every part of your body is in motion. Think of this as tennis with a shot of caffeine!? Muscato says.

Beyond improving overall fitness, Muscato says playing Cardio Tennis can improve all aspects of your tennis game, especially footwork. ?Footwork is the number-one issue with tennis players,? he says. ?If they don?t have good footwork, they won?t have a very effective game.?

Hitting more effectively ? and the satisfaction that comes with that ? is another benefit to cardio tennis, says Jed Murray, general manager at Sportime at Schenectady. Like Muscato, Murray, who has taught Cardio Tennis for three years, is certified with the USTA and the Professional Tennis Registry. ?There is nothing quite like the feeling of hitting something. It?s an incredible outlet, a feeling of satisfaction,? says Murray, who lives in Clifton Park. ?In a single Cardio Tennis class, you get to hit the ball at least 100 times.?

For Vaccariello, Cardio Tennis was actually the impetus to try regular tennis, which she?s now played for two years. ?Cardio Tennis got me to focus on shuffling back and forth. In regular tennis, you need to be shuffling back and forth across the court,? she says. ?New tennis players tend to turn and run, but if they do this, they would then have to turn to the front again in order to hit the ball.?

?In a typical class, students travel four miles. Everyone is sweating. Every part of your body is in motion.?

Like other aerobic classes in gyms and fitness centers ? but certainly unlike the church-like quiet found during tennis matches ? music can help keep the game fast-paced. ?Music makes the class roll on and helps keep people moving and motivated,? Muscato says. ?I try to mix in as many new and cool ? and sometimes corny, holiday tunes ? to keep everyone happy. The music can be any that is around 135 beats per minute. I use a cross between dance and pop. Nothing gets the crowd going than a good remix of a song that they can sing along to.?

Mixing it up is part of what has kept Albany resident Kristin O?Connor playing Cardio Tennis once a week for two years. ?I have always loved to work out. I run on the treadmill, do the elliptical machine, and go on the stationary bike, but this is something different,? she says. ?It works different muscle groups. It changes all the time.?

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Cardio Tennis Fast Facts

What is Cardio Tennis most similar to?

• Boot camp, which mixes traditional calisthenics and body-weight exercises with interval training and strength training.
• Kickboxing, which involves punching, kicking, stretching, heavy bag work, circuit training, floor exercises, and interval workouts.
• Aerobics, which is a fitness class utilizing exercises set to music to increase cardiovascular endurance, muscle endurance and tone, flexibility, coordination, and agility.

Note: While elements of all these activities are incorporated into Cardio Tennis, the difference is that Cardio Tennis offers players the chance to improve their tennis game, since it involves hitting balls with a racket.

What should you wear?

Sneakers and comfortable clothing.

What should you bring?

A tennis racket is optional, since the facility provides them, as well as the tennis balls. A heart-rate monitor is not required, but is encouraged. A water bottle is also recommended.

Is it for everyone?

Adults of all ages can play. If you are pregnant, have a pre-existing medical condition, or are recovering from major surgery, consult your physician prior to playing. Depending upon your fitness level, you may experience temporary soreness after taking the class.

Where is it offered?

• Sportime at Schenectady, 2699 Curry Road, offered year-round, cost: $229 for three months of weekly classes, 518-356-0100.
• Capital Region Tennis & Fitness, 205 Southern Blvd., Albany, offered from September to May, cost: $16 per class, call 518-436-3556

Private lessons are available upon request. For more information on Cardio Tennis, visit cardiotennis.com.

Photos by Carin Lane/HealthyLife

Interested? Check out our video on Cardio Tennis here.

Source: http://blog.timesunion.com/healthylifemagazine/fitness-welcome-to-the-world-of-cardio-tennis/386/

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