Tennis Fitness Training

Archive for the ‘Myofascial Release’ Category

Tight Shoulders and Neck?

All athletes, high-level or fitness enthusiasts, often push their limits to the extreme. Playing on hard surfaces and the uneven nature of tennis where one side is used more than the other, makes it hard on your body. You need to spend as much time and effort—if not more—on recreating balance and health in your body as you do on playing tennis.

Almost everybody who experiences tight shoulders and neck accompanied with tension headaches knows how unpleasant the pain can be. A few people suffer from them regularly. The culprit is a bad posture with the head forward, weak upper back muscles and tight chest muscles. People with round upper backs and heads forward are a common sight when you look around. The older they are, the more distinct it is because the gravity will accelerate the process if the surrounding muscles are weak. Unfortunately, we can see this phenomenon among still relatively young tennis players as well.

In the majority of tennis strokes, you perform an upper body turn while rotating and loading in your hips. Additionally, some of trunk rotation comes from the thoracic spine (the upper back). The overuse and small micro-tears will cause the upper back muscles to tighten to protect themselves. If the upper back becomes weak and tight, you experience severe problems and pains. The tight muscles do not allow as much blood flow into them and therefore there is not enough supply of nutrients and energy needed to stay healthy. Tight muscles eventually get weak and then tighten even more. You need to break this vicious circle.

If you don’t stretch properly after physical activity, the muscle never gets elongated to its natural length and over time will adapt and become short. A bad posture with rounded back and shoulders tilted forward causes an additional stress on the upper back. The head is a very heavy object, weighing 10 to 12 pounds and if its position is only a few inches forward, the back and neck muscles must work much harder and get easily overloaded. Several things will help your aching and tight upper back:

• Stretch regularly! Try this great stretching routine. (It is also available in interlinked PDF format for your phone or iPad)
• Focus on your posture until it becomes a habit.
• Bring your shoulders back and keep your head straight up. Remember that slouched shoulders can cause rotator cuff problems.
• Strengthen the upper back muscles with a variety of rows and pulls.
• Reposition the shoulders with elbow touches and arm circles.
• Perform upper back myofascial release as described below:

Upper Back Myofascial Release

Tight muscles often contain trigger points. With stretching, you can lengthen the muscle, but if the trigger points remain there, the muscle will tend to shorten again. In addition to stretching, perform myofascial release to get rid of the trigger points.

Lie down on a top of a foam ball or a tennis ball that you place under your upper back in the shoulder blade area. Bend your legs and lift the hips off the ground, which will help to apply sufficient pressure on the ball. Keep your hands either under your head to support it, extend them above your head, or give yourself a big hug— each variation will feel different. Experiment with the various positions to find the best response. Roll around until you find a painful trigger point, and while breathing deeply, stay on the spot until the pain dissipates. Then roll to another spot in your upper back and methodically go through the entire area, until you do not find any more trigger points.

Keep your upper back muscles healthy and your posture straight. You will feel and look better, and your tennis game will benefit as well.

Nutrition Tip – Chia Seeds

Chia is an ancient plant with tremendous nutritional value and medicinal characteristics. The seeds were used by ancient cultures as high energy endurance food, especially for their running messengers, who would carry a small pouch with the seeds. Chia has been called ‘Indian Running Food’ and gives a steady stream of energy.

• Chia is nutrient dense and full of trace minerals (like potassium), vitamins, antioxidants, fiber, and essential fatty acids.
• It is high in omega-3 fatty acids, so it a great addition to anyone’s diet.
• Chia seeds are a great way to clean out. The seeds bulk up and work like a digestive broom, sweeping through your intestinal tract, helping to dislodge and eliminate old accumulated waste in the intestines.

Chia seeds have the ability to absorb more than twelve times their weight in water, thus allowing prolonged hydration. The seeds help in retaining moisture and regulate the body’s absorption of nutrients. Read more about Chia at Wikipedia.

Benefits of Chia Seeds for athletes:

• do digest easily
• are absorbed very easily
• muscle and tissue builder
• increases energy and endurance
• have extensive hydration properties
• good source of protein, calcium, potassium and iron
• high in both soluble and insoluble fiber

The easily digestible chia seeds are a great post-workout snack because they transport fast to the tissues and are  utilized by the cells. Chia seeds will replenish  iron, calcium, and potassium — the lost minerals during your tennis practice hrough sweat and muscle contraction. Chia seeds help speed up the recovery thanks to to their high amounts of protein. Due to their exceptional water-absorption quality, they will help you prolong hydration and retain electrolytes. There are new drinks on the market where they add chia seeds in the drink. You can easily make such drink yourself: add the chia seeds into your favorite beverage, let them swell a bit, and then keep drinking.

You can get chia seeds at any health food store, or at my favorite shopping place – Amazon.com. Here is my favorite brand of chia seeds on Amazon.

Recommended Book of the Month – Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard

Why is it so hard to make lasting changes in our habits, behaviors and lives? You decide to get fit, start working out and then something sabotages your efforts. Or you want to get lean, start a great healthy diet, but then one day you give in to the “bad” foods and your efforts are gone. Why does this happen more often than we wish?

The authors of the book say that we have a conflict in our brains, because our minds are ruled by two different systems: 1) the rational mind, 2) the emotional mind, and they compete for control. The rational mind wants a great beach body; the emotional mind wants that Oreo cookie. The rational mind wants to change something at work; the emotional mind loves the comfort of the existing routine. This tension can doom a change effort—but if it is overcome, change can come quickly.

The book is pretty short and very worth reading, because you will learn how to change your habits that will make you closer to your goals. Find Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard on Amazon.

SAY THAT AGAIN? — a Humorous Play with Words

• When chemists die, they barium.
• Jokes about German sausage are the wurst.
• I know a guy who’s addicted to brake fluid. He says he can stop any time.
• I stayed up all night to see where the sun went. Then it dawned on me.
• This girl said she recognized me from the vegetarian club, but I’d never met herbivore.
• I’m reading a book about anti-gravity. I just can’t put it down.
• They told me I had type-A blood, but it was a Type-O.
• Why were the Indians here first? They had reservations.
• We are going on a class trip to the Coca-Cola factory. I hope there’s no pop quiz.
• I didn’t like my beard at first. Then it grew on me.
• Did you hear about the cross-eyed teacher who lost her job because she couldn’t control her pupils?
• Broken pencils are pointless.
• I tried to catch some fog, but I mist.
• What do you call a dinosaur with an extensive vocabulary? A thesaurus.
• England has no kidney bank, but it does have a Liverpool.
• I used to be a banker, but then I lost interest.
• I got a job at a bakery because I kneaded dough.
• Haunted French pancakes give me the creapes.
• Velcro — what a rip off!
• A cartoonist was found dead in his home. Details are sketchy
• Venison for dinner again? Oh deer!
• The earthquake in Washington obviously was the government’s fault.

If you are planning to buy tools for strength or injury prevention, now it’s time to do it. Until May 31, 2012, they have 10% off and free shipping. Use code IDEA12. It’s a great deal if you plan to buy yourself some heavy kettlebells or medicine balls. The link to the tools (all my favorite ones) are on the bottom of this page.

Besides the obvious use of a tennis ball–moving it around the tennis court–you may also think of playing fetch with your dog, but do you know that you can use tennis balls for many beneficial exercises, such as grip strengthening, foot massage, trigger point release, or juggling to improve your hand-eye coordination?

Tennis Ball Squeezes

It is good to have a strong grip, not just for tennis and other sports, but also for your leisure activities such as cleaning, gardening or repairing your car. Grip the tennis ball with all fingers and squeeze it with maximum power for one second, then relax. Repeat at least 20 times, then switch hands.

Tennis Ball Foot Massage

Place one or more tennis balls on the floor, take off your shoes and put one foot on the ball(s). Stand up and slowly transfer your body weight on the balls until you feel good pressure. Roll your foot over the balls, massaging the entire surface of your foot. This will refresh your tired feet after exercising and walking around all day. If you suffer from plantar fasciitis, this exercise will relieve the problems.

Piriformis and Glute Massage

If you have ever suffered from sciatica problems, you know how painful this condition feels. Often, the sciatica pain is nothing more than “piriformis syndrome”, a tight piriformis muscle. The piriformis muscle stretches across the glutes, and with prolonged sitting or intense activity, it can get tight and shortened and impinge on the sciatica nerve. You then feel the pain in the hip and shooting down the leg. There is an easy solution: sit on the floor, bend both knees and place the foot of the painful leg on a top of the other knee. Place the tennis ball under the painful glute, toward the outside, and transfer all your body weight on it. Search for the tight and painful spots (called trigger points) and stay on each spot, breathing deeply, until the pain goes away. Roll around the entire glute area, until you don’t find any more trigger points, then switch sides.

Upper Back Massage

If you sit for prolonged periods, you may have tight upper back and neck area. It is even more common among tennis players. This tightness may cause tension headaches. A tennis ball is a perfect tool to release the upper back tension. Lie down on the floor, put the tennis ball under your upper-back area, and transfer the weight on it. Roll around and search for trigger points. When you find one, stay on it while breathing deeply and relaxing, until the worst pain goes away. Work the entire upper back area, stretching wide toward the armpits.

Front Shoulder Massage

Tennis players often feel tightness or pain in their dominant shoulder, because the muscles are tight and shortened. You can use a tennis ball to relieve the pain in the shoulder and upper chest. Lie face down, place the tennis ball under your right shoulder, and stretch your right arm to the side. Transfer your body weight on the tennis ball, while supporting yourself on your left arm to control the amount of pressure. If you find a very sensitive or sore area, stay on it while breathing deeply and relaxing until the pain goes away. Cover the entire chest and front shoulder area, then switch sides.

Side Shoulder Massage

Stand sideways by the wall and place the tennis ball between your shoulder and the wall. Lean onto the ball and using your legs, move your shoulder up and down, letting the ball massage the outside of your shoulder.

Neck Massage

Lie down on the floor. Put two tennis balls into a sock and place them high up on your neck, almost at the bottom of your skull, one ball on each side of the spine. Close your eyes and breathe deeply, relaxing for 5 to 10 minutes. This is an excellent technique to refresh your mind when you are tired.

Spinal Muscles Massage

Use the two-ball-in-the-sock tool from the previous exercise. Lie down on your back and place the balls under your lower back, one ball on each side of the spine. Slowly roll up and down, along the entire length of the spine. If you find tender spots, stay on them, breathe deeply and let the pain go away.

IT Band Massage

Lie down on your left side and place the tennis ball under your left hip. Support yourself on your hands to adjust the amount of pressure. This exercise is often very painful, because tennis players have their IT bands overused and full of trigger points from the continuous direction changes on the court. When you encounter a painful trigger point, stay on it, try to relax and breathe deeply until the pain goes away. Then move slowly on the next trigger point. Roll through the entire area from the hip down the knee, and back up toward the hip, several times. Then switch sides.

Juggling Three Tennis Balls to Improve Hand-Eye Coordination

Let us call the three balls A, B, C for an easier understanding. Hold two tennis balls (A, B) in your right hand, one ball (C) in the left hand. Toss one of the two balls (A) into the air and when it reaches the highest point, toss the ball (C) from your left hand up in the air, then catch the first ball (A) with the left hand. Now, as the ball (C) is hanging in the air, toss the right hand ball (B) and catch the ball (C). There is always one ball in the air and one ball in each hand. Repeat until you feel relaxed and your movement is smooth. This exercise will improve your focus, coordination and patience!

Tennis Drills, Strategy and Tips

Not too long time ago, I found a very nice website for tennis enthusiasts: www.WebTennis24.com. The site’s owner, Cosmin Miholca, who is a very successful tennis coach in the Southern California, shares his knowledge and passion for the sport. He put up over 400 videos and articles of pure tennis content: video lessons, tennis tips, tactics and strategies for singles and doubles play, tennis drills, footwork and fitness drills (my favorite area!), and the newest section – The Hot Seat – where tennis experts answer questions from the site’s members.

Once you are there, you might want to grab a FREE copy of his “Winning Tennis Tactics for Singles and Doubles” ebook that you can instantly download and begin applying the lessons to your game. So take a look at WebTennis24.com to see it for yourself, and let me know what you think.

Book of the Month:  Thinking, Fast and Slow, by Daniel Kahneman

I must say it is a little bit “hardcore” book, but it is amazing, if you enjoy reading about the brain, thinking, decision making and problem solving. It is over 500 pages long, only 6 months old and has been residing on top 1 spot of many lists since it came out.

Daniel Kahneman got a Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences and engaged in psychology research for decades. His book gives you a really deep (and sometimes scary) insight what is going on in your head during your reactions, conclusions, choices and judgments. If it is your style of reading, you must definitely check it out. If you don’t love things like this, then it’s going to be too heavy for you. Here it is on Amazon, you can read a bit more about it.

If you’ve enjoyed reading this article, feel free to pass it on your friends, and share on your favorite social media. The spring is here and the summer will arrive before we even notice it. Start working on your fitness even more, so you are ready for the bikini season and long hours on the court.

All high-level athletes are pushing their limits to the extreme. For a tennis player, the uneven nature of the sport where one side is used more than the other in addition to training every day for hours, and frequently on hard surfaces, the body gets a lot of beating. If you want to remain healthy, you need to spend a lot of time on recreating balance and health in your body. I dare to say that you need almost more time than on playing tennis, especially as you are getting older. You need to stretch after each practice (try this great stretching routine), pay good attention to your body, and listen to its subtle signs signaling you what is happening. You need to be aware of your posture, balance, flexibility, and “evenness” of your both sides, where the right and left side of your body should be equally strong and flexible.

The pro tennis players spend enormous amounts of time on rejuvenating their bodies with massage, physical therapy, and myofascial release therapy. You may not have the monetary means to do that on a daily basis, but you still need to take equally good care of your body in the same way as the professional tennis player does. The self-myofascial release techniques come to your help and they will do almost as good job as a massage, with the difference being that you have to be active.

Myofascial Release Technique

Myofascial release is a technique where you “massage” and stretch the fascia, so it will return to its original soft and subtle texture. Fascia is a specialized, tough layer of connective tissue that surrounds muscles, bones, and joints and gives support and protection to the body from head to toe. Fascia is extremely strong and usually transmits mechanical tension generated by muscle activity and external forces. When there is a chronic tension, the fascia hardens, thickens, and restricts the free muscle movement and that leads to even more dysfunctions. Micro-tears of the tendons can develop.

Trigger Points

Muscular injuries and trauma, improper body mechanics or structural imbalances, poor nutrition, lack of sleep, stress, or overtraining can cause development of trigger points, which are small, extremely painful spots in your muscles. If you push on these spots, you will feel agonizing pain and will want to pull away. Trigger points inhibit proper function of the muscle fibers and therefore create more problems. Generally, once the trigger point exists, it does not want to relax on its own and you have to help to release it. It is difficult to diagnose and treat trigger points, as they often refer pain to other parts of the body. Therefore, it is very important for you to be in touch with your body by always looking for trigger points and releasing them before they can create more problems in the future.

The following myofascial routine will help you to find and release the annoying trigger points. Perform the routine regularly and you will learn how to be smooth in getting into the positions on the ball, how much pressure you need to apply, and where are the spots that you need to address. The more intense your training is, the more frequently you need to perform the myofascial release routine.

Myofascial Release Tools

You can use the traditional foam roller for your myofascial release, but I think you will outgrow it fast, and the release will not be deep enough. I have two favorite tools for myofascial release: 1) the 6-inch foam ball, which has been my absolute favorite until the rumble roller came out, 2) 31 inches long Rumble Roller, which is very firm and penetrating. Each tool serves different purpose, so I do recommend owning both. The foam ball is easily portable and you can have it in your tennis bag or purse all the time. The rumble roller is quite big, not as portable, but it reaches spots in your body just as human fingers would. I get my foam ball on powersystems.com and the rumble roller on amazon.com.

.

Self-myofascial Release Routine

Always give attention to your entire body. However, if you find some specific areas that are more out of balance or more painful, spend extra time on those. The painful trigger points in your body will move around, and you need to pay attention and correct the small problems before they create more serious issues and injuries.

1. Quadriceps. Start your routine with lying on your stomach and rolling your quadriceps. Observe if the right and left side feel different. Make sure to roll the front, inner and outer parts of the quadriceps. Then pull one leg to the side…

2. Adductors. Place the ball on the inner thigh of the away leg. Roll the entire way from the knee toward your groin. Make sure to reach both front and backside of your adductors. When done, transition to the hip flexors, rolling your ball high up into the hip area…

3. Hip flexors. Make sure to relax and let the ball sink deep into the hip area. Pay attention to make both sides even. Then roll over to the side…

4. IT Band, or illiotibial band. Spend a good amount of time on the entire length of the IT band, addressing also the front and backside. Then roll the ball high up on your hip…

5. TFL, or tensor fasciae latae. TFL is very thick and you need to work it deeply. Roll on the ball with both straight and bent leg. Pay attention if both sides feel the same. Then roll over on your back…

6. Piriformis and gluteus. If you neglect it, you can experience nagging lower back problems or “sciatica” issues. Take your time to find all the trigger points. Then slide the ball under your hamstrings…

7. Hamstrings. They are more difficult to roll, because it is hard to put full body weight on the ball, especially if you have limited flexibility. Try to get as much of your body weight on the ball as possible. Then move the ball to the bottom of your spine…

8. Spine feels very good to roll on. Roll from the bottom up toward your neck and down again. Repeat a few times and feel how rejuvenated your spine will become. Move the ball to the upper back area…

9. Upper back. Initially, rest on the ball and relax. Let your shoulders and arms sink. Then roll around the entire upper back area and look for tightness, especially in your dominant side. When done, roll over on your stomach with the ball under your chest…

10. Chest. Roll the entire chest area from the sternum, around the clavicle, and outward to your arm. Continue on your biceps. Then get up on your knees with the ball under your lower leg…

11. Lower leg muscles. It feels very good to massage the outside part of the lower leg—an area seldom addressed. Roll from the ankle toward your knee and back. Then turn around to move on the calves…

12. Calves. They are hard to roll on the ball, because they need deeper penetration. Start on the ball first, and then use your opposite knee to reach deeper.

The routine takes 20 to 40 minutes to finish, depending on how long you stay on different areas. You will find myofascial release quite painful, initially. As you muscles get healthier and more functional, you will enjoy the myofascial work much more, because it won’t hurt as much. Eventually, you reach the point that you enjoy doing myofascial release as much as you enjoy a good massage.

Keep learning how to treat yourself, especially if you have issues with chronic injuries. Finding and massaging away the trigger points with the myofascial release regularly will prolong your athletic career, increase the functionality of your muscles, and decrease the injuries that you suffer. Keep rolling and play injury-free tennis for the rest of your life. Your performance and tennis game will improve dramatically, too!

Another good exercise to prevent future injuries is to rebalance your hips with this simple exercise described in the past article here. Also, remember to take a good care of your core and keep it strong with these variations of planks.

If you like to have all the fitness tips close to you at all times, you can find a paper or Kindle book on Amazon.com. It is small enough to fit your tennis bag and you can work on your health any time.

Work on your tennis fitness and play great tennis!

Trigger points are small, extremely painful spots in your muscles. If you push on these spots, you will feel agonizing pain and will want to pull away. Trigger points can develop as a result of muscular injuries or trauma, improper body mechanics or structural imbalances, poor nutrition, lack of sleep, stress, over-training, and more. Trigger points inhibit proper function of the muscle fibers and therefore create more problems. Generally, once the trigger point is created, it does not want to relax on its own and it needs to be helped.

Trigger points can exist in the muscle bellies or tendons that attach to the bone. Often trigger points create a referred pain— pain that is somewhere else than the trigger point itself. For example, you push on a trigger point in your hip and you might feel pain in your knee. The level of pain depends on the level of irritability of the trigger point. Sometimes a trigger point in the tiniest muscle can cause the most extreme pain. Even tension headaches, migraines or stiff neck can be expression of referred pain. A lot of chronic injuries are caused by trigger points. It is very difficult to diagnose and treat trigger points, as they often refer pain to other parts of the body. Therefore, it is very important for you to be in touch with your body by always looking for trigger points and releasing them before they can create more problems in the future.

Myofascial release will help to get rid of the pesky trigger points. Muscles (myo) and organs in the body are connected or separated by a band of a connective tissue that is called fascia. Fascia is a specialized, tough layer of connective tissue that surrounds muscles, bones and joints and gives support and protection to the body from head to toe. Fascia is extremely strong and usually transmits mechanical tension generated by muscle activity and external forces. When there is a chronic tension, the fascia hardens, thickens, and restricts the free muscle movement and that leads to even more dysfunctions. Micro-tears of the tendons can develop. Myofascial release is a technique where you “massage” and stretch the fascia, so it will return to its original soft and subtle texture. As a result, the stress on the surrounding tissues will decrease and your injury will go away. You can seek a professional who specializes in myofascial release or you can use this technique on yourself with help of a foam ball.

This myofascial release booklet will teach you how to help yourself, especially if you have issues with chronic injuries. Finding and massaging away the trigger points, and performing myofascial release regularly will prolong your athletic career, increase the functionality of your muscles and decrease the injuries that you suffer. Your performance and tennis game will improve dramatically.

Content

1. Trigger Points and Chronic Pain
2. Foot Myofascial Release for Plantar Fasciitis
3. Lower Leg Myofascial Release for Shin Splints
4. Calf Myofascial Release
5. Quadriceps Myofascial Release for Knee Pain
6. Hip Flexor Myofascial Release for Lower Back Pain
7. TFL Muscle Myofascial Release for Hip Pain
8. IT Band Myofascial Release for Knee Pain
9. Piriformis Myofascial Release for Sciatica Pain
10. Hamstrings Myofascial Release for Lower Back Pain
11. Upper Back Myofascial Release for Neck Pain
12. Chest Myofascial Release for Shoulder Pain
13. Myofascial Release Recovery Routine

Price: $2.99

This is The One-And-Only tool that EVERY tennis player HAS TO own.

It will get you out of trouble when pains and overuse injuries could take over.

Trigger points are small, extremely painful spots in your muscles. If you push on such spot, you feel agonizing pain and you want to pull away. Trigger points can develop as a result of muscular injuries or trauma, improper body mechanics or structural imbalances, poor nutrition, lack of sleep, stress, overtraining, and more. Trigger points inhibit proper function of the muscle fibers and therefore create more problems. Generally, once the trigger point is created, it doesn’t want to relax on its own and it needs to be helped. Trigger points can exist in the muscle bellies or tendons that attach to the bone. Often trigger points create a referred pain (pain that is somewhere else than the trigger point itself). For example you push on a trigger point in your hip and you might feel pain in your knee.

This 6 inch, high density foam ball will assist you in a self-massage of your overused muscles. The deep pressure will help the muscles to relax, and the special techniques of self-myofascial release will get rid of the adhesions and scar tissue in the muscles. Your flexibility, function and tennis performance will improve, while the risks of overuse injuries will decrease.

Use the ball daily, preferably after your tennis practice. In the beginning, it will be a painful experience, but the more you use it, the better you will feel and the less amount of time you will need to spend with the ball.

Buy now at power-systems.com or on Amazon.com

The legendary tennis coach Oscar Wegner (modern tennis methodology) has interviewed me about my book “Tennis Fitness for the Love of it.” We were chatting about the importance of fitness and stretching for maximum tennis performance and life. Watch, listen and enjoy!

You can find more of Oscar’s teachings at www.tennisteacher.com

Click to buy on Amazon.com

To make sure that you are completely satisfied with your decision to buy “Tennis Fitness for the Love of it”, you can view sample material from the book in the resources below. Enjoy the viewing.

Amazon’s Search Inside Feature

Google Books Preview Feature

Table of Contents

Introduction

About the Author

Sample Chapter 13 — Calf Myofascial Relase

Sample Chapter 28 — External Hip Stretch

Epilogue

I am glad to announce, that the book “Tennis Fitness for the Love of it. A Mindful Approach to Fitness for Injury-free Tennis” that  many have been so impatiently waiting for, is available on Amazon.com for $14.95. Get your copy here now! For bulk orders, please contact me.

To all the tennis players of any age and skill level, who always strive for improvement and who never stop believing that the impossible is possible, and who know that there are no limits to growth and performance other than the human mind.

It is Never Too Late to Become Functional, Fit and Healthy

It is possible to play pain-free tennis for the rest of your life. One of the prerequisites is improving your fitness. However, it is not just any fitness. It needs to be mindful, purposeful, and perfectly suited for you. Nobody can tell you what is perfectly suited for you, only your body can. Listen to it because it will ask for what it needs. In your pursuit for maximum fitness and tennis performance, you need to be aware, patient, and disciplined.

Carry this little book with you always and reread the chapters often. Each time you will discover something new. Learn to understand your body. Every exercise you do should be performed with the goal of increasing awareness of your body, and gradually building a new relationship with it. Learn how to free up the tightness and how to balance your strengths. The less pain you experience, the healthier and more functional you are, and the more your energy will increase. Treat the moments of stretching and myofascial release as time for meditation, relaxation, and introspection.

Create daily routines that fit your lifestyle and treat them as essential for your fitness, well-being, and tennis performance. Think of your health and fitness in the long term. Be patient and disciplined in applying the new ways of exercising and treating your body. Remember that even modest effort applied over the long term will bring excellent results. Therefore, do not postpone your fitness until tomorrow and start today, even if it is just a little bit. Treat your body with respect and love. Treat the fitness as one of the necessary elements of your tennis game. Become fit for tennis and you will become fit for life, and tennis will be in your life forever. Practice your tennis fitness, for the love of it.

Many people suffer from chronic tension and pain. Muscle tension comes from an injury, stress or incorrect postural alignment. Tension creates pain, pain brings more stress and stress creates more tension, and the vicious pain circle has started. In addition to stretching, massage and mediation, another way to break the pain cycle is using the miracle balls to release the tension in your body.

Read more…

(Suzanna@Livestrong.com)

The two most common uses of a tennis ball are playing tennis and playing fetch with your dog. However, you can use a tennis ball for many other beneficial exercises, such as self-massage, grip strengthening or foot massage, or use two or more tennis balls for juggling to improve your hand-eye coordination.

Read more…

(Suzanna@Livestrong.com)