TENNIS AND RUNNING

Tennis and running are two other popular sports that promote good all-over-body fitness. Each has a distinctive flavor and rules to learn and follow.

If you don’t have knee problems, running is a great exercise. You can run anywhere – you don’t specialized equipment (other than a great paid of shoes). Running shoes are key to the success of this sport.

The running shoe needs to absorb shock, control motion, be flexible and be durable.

There's no single 'best shoe' - everyone has different needs. All sorts of elements – biomechanics, weight, the surfaces you run on, and obviously, the shape of your feet – mean that one person's perfect shoe can be damaging for another person.

Because of the complexity of individual foot biomechanics and the complexity of running shoes on the market, it is best to go to a specialty running shoe store. They will have the expertise to help you find the best running shoe for your feet.

A few tips:

• Shop in the later part of the afternoon - feet get bigger during the day and they will get bigger when running
• Wear the socks that you would normally wear during running
• A number of other elements should be taken into account when deciding which shoe is best for you –how much you run; how heavy you are; any specific foot problems
• It often helps to bring an old pair of shoes with you, so the sales person can see where your shoes tend to wear the most

Tennis is a complicated sport, but it still draws athletes and regular people of all ages to this one-on-one mental and physical battle of wills. Tennis is a game of skill, but there’s also gear involved. You will need the right tennis racquet and tennis shoes. For beginners, the gear isn’t as important as a few lessons.

If you know nothing about playing tennis, you really should take a few lessons before you get out on the court to try to play. Lessons will show you how to hold your tennis racquet and the correct way to hit the basic shots. If you go out there and wing it, chances are your swings will not be biomechanically sound. You also risk injuring yourself, or preventing yourself from learning the correct way to hit a tennis ball.

Choosing a racquet for beginners can be confusing. The two main elements in a tennis racquet are power and control. A young or beginning player must rely on the racquet for power, so for beginners, choose a racquet with a high power rating. The more experienced you become, the more you are generating your own power and you need your racquet to control the power.

Choosing shoes is less tricky. Tennis involves a lot of side-to-side action so you need a shoe with good lateral stability. Running shoes are dangerous to use while playing tennis. They are built for forward motion only and you really could break your ankle pretty quick if you’re using running shoes on the tennis court. Go to a shoe store or sporting goods store and ask to see tennis shoes.

 

 

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