Tennis is a sport that requires phenomenal skill, coordination, and endurance. Players must combine rapid anaerobic bursts of speed with slower aerobic movements that can last hours.
Tennis has several benefits, including improving bone health, muscle strength, and balance. People of all ages, sizes, and fitness levels can learn to play.
However, over time, tennis can be taxing. Playing tennis can lead to muscle tension, physical stress, and mental fatigue. Although most tennis players love the game so much that they want to play it constantly, that choice is not always best for the body or mind.
The Paseo Club is a social club in the Santa Clarita Valley with a comprehensive tennis department and pickleball, swimming, and fitness amenities. Many of our members are avid tennis players.
In this article, you will learn why taking a break from tennis is sometimes necessary, alternatives to tennis, and how to get involved in other physical activities.
Why would you take a break from playing tennis?
Tennis is a much-loved sport played by tens of thousands of people worldwide. You may get sidelined from playing tennis due to injury. However, there are a few other reasons you may need to take a break.
- Injury
- Poor weather conditions
- Boost your mental game
- Desire to learn a new sport
- Recover from overtraining and fatigue
- Cross-train to improve overall fitness and power
What are the 5 best alternatives to tennis?
Yoga
If you need a break from the intensity of playing tennis and want to focus on mobility, then yoga is a great choice. Yoga helps you recover from injuries and deepen your mind-body practice. It is a great choice when you want to develop more symmetrical strength and flexibility. Yoga can help alleviate back pain, improve hip flexibility, and increase balance — all transferable benefits for tennis.
Where to attend yoga: The Paseo Club, Drenched, Hot for Yoga, My Yoga Canyon Country, Serenity Hot Yoga, Thermal Horizons, and Yoga, Yoga.
Pilates
Pilates is a mind-body practice similar to yoga but with more focus on strengthening while mobilizing. Pilates is performed on a reformer machine and focuses on core strength and breath control. A strong core will help you improve hip rotation, range of motion in the shoulders, and back stability. This can lead to more powerful and accurate shots and prevent injury.
Where to attend Pilates: The Paseo Club, Pilates Plus, Pilates Pros, Butterfly Studios Pilates, Complete Fitness, Club Pilates, Drenched LA, Grit + Gratitude, Motivate Valencia, and Movement of Pilates.
Running
Running is a great way to keep up your cardiovascular activity while resting your shoulders, elbows, and wrists. Running can help you be more nimble, improving your footwork. Long runs can boost your endurance — key for long matches. Go out on the paseos and enjoy a nice jog, or join the running and walking group at the Paseo Club on Thursdays and Saturdays at 7 am.
If you want to focus on speed, attend Coach Jodi’s Treadmill Training class to do sprints — practical skills that transfer to the courts.
Where to run: The Paseo Club
Pickleball
If you cannot get enough racquet sports, you should definitely check out pickleball. Pickleball requires many of the same skills as tennis, but there is enough difference and novelty that it will keep you on your toes.
Pickleball is less intense and requires less power and speed — a great option if you need a break from the demanding nature of tennis. Pickleball is lower-impact, making it easier on your joints. This has a lot of appeal for tennis players in their 50s and 60s. Adding pickleball to your roster will also expand your social circle. Who knows, you may even find that you like pickleball better.
Where to play pickleball: The Paseo Club and SCV Parks and Rec
Fitness classes
Playing more tennis doesn't necessarily make you a better player. You may read the court better or take a smarter shot, but you likely will not develop more agility, coordination, endurance, or power.
The research is universal. All athletes improve in their sport when they cross-train. Attending a strength training class will help you build symmetrical strength, target areas often ignored (hello, posterior chain!), and improve your performance on the courts.
Where to attend fitness classes: The Paseo Club, Afterburn Fitness, LA Fitness, and Crunch Fitness.
Enjoying a wide range of physical activity
Whether you are taking a break from tennis due to injury, want to pick up a new sport, or need something to do until the rain clears, there are many great fitness alternatives to playing tennis.
Becoming active in a variety of ways makes you a more well-rounded athlete. You will have more stamina, force, and coordination on the courts when you practice other types of movement. It also lessens the chance of injury — especially the ones related to repetition, such as tennis elbow.
Luckily, you do not need to travel from place to place to place to get all your exercise in. With a membership to the Paseo Club, you can get everything you need under one roof.
Enjoy our tennis courts for drills, drop-in play, leagues, or tournaments. When you are ready to try something different, we offer pickleball, yoga, Pilates, and dozens of fitness classes.
If you are not a member of the Paseo Club, now is a great time to sign up. It takes just minutes, and you will be instantly granted access to all eight acres of the club. Enjoy the fitness, court, and swimming facilities and luxuriate in the spa, dining, and chub house amenities.
The Paseo Club is your home away from home. Join Today!
