Carol Kula, Mike Rutt, Donna Oshea, and Mo Olinski
Roe Callahan
Did you know that playing POP tennis or traditional tennis just three hours a week can reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease by 56%? One long-term study shows POP tennis and traditional tennis players add 9.7 years to their lives over sedentary individuals.
Playing POP tennis and traditional tennis has a wide range of health benefits that make it an ideal physical activity for most people.
Anyone at any age can learn POP tennis and traditional tennis and enjoy incredible benefits like stronger bones, stress reduction, better agility, better balance, coordination, weight loss, and cardiovascular fitness.
We all can benefit from increased aerobic activity that works to strengthen your heart while increasing your range of motion. In addition, you might think that exercise would increase the risk of fractures. The opposite is true. According to the National Institutes of Health, many types of exercise help prevent osteoporosis, especially weight-bearing exercises. Each time you raise your racket, you’re working against gravity, and this forced exertion on your bones helps them grow stronger.
All of the above can happen while having fun and meeting new friends. As everyone knows, you can’t play POP tennis or traditional tennis by yourself. Lobbing a ball back and forth requires a partner. The benefits of playing with another person are twofold: Your mental health will get a boost from social interaction with your fellow players, and studies show that face-to-face social contact reduces the risk of depression, particularly among older adults.
POP tennis is a relatively new SaddleBrooke sport, but it has been a sport for more than 100 years. We are fortunate to have both POP tennis and traditional tennis at the SaddleBrooke Tennis Club, as the games are both played on the same courts with the same scoring method.
So, stop by the SaddleBrooke Tennis Club and watch a game or two and ask one of our tennis coordinators how you can get on the court and start having fun like our members. And, as always, talk to your doctor before beginning any new exercise regimen.