Tennis Physiotherapy in Calgary
Welcome to Chinook Rehab Centre's resource about tennis.
Tennis is a sport that is enjoyed by thousands of people around the world thanks to the need for minimal equipment, and only one other person to play with! Good weather adds to the fun of playing the sport, but thousands of people also enjoy the swoosh of the racket and the crack of a smashed ball on indoor courts as well. Unfortunately we can’t all smash or serve like Roger Federer or Serena Williams but everyone can prepare their bodies, just as the pros do, in order to avoid injury and partake in the sport pain-free.
Just because there is no physical contact between players during a tennis match certainly does not mean that injuries are less likely. The repetitive motions that tennis requires such as swinging, lunging, reaching, and twisting can easily lead to overuse injuries if the body is not conditioned well and prepared to play.
This part of our website is designed to assist you in preparing for your tennis match. Tennis is an exciting spectator’s sport, however, who wants to be stuck watching from the stands due to injury when you could be out on the court serving up aces yourself?
Please click on a link to find more information about tennis:
Tennis Physiotherapy in Calgary
Stretching is an essential part of playing tennis. A good stretching routine can help to minimize muscle imbalances, prevent injury, improve your exercise tolerance and your tennis performance. The following stretching program is designed for tennis players who do not have any current injuries or individual stretching needs. If you have an injury, or a specific mechanical imbalance that may be holding back your tennis performance, your Chinook Rehab Centre physiotherapist can design a stretching program more specific for you.
When is the Best Time to Stretch?
When your muscles are warm and relaxed! For optimum performance you should stretch after you have done a general body warm up of about 5-10 minutes (light running, or another light aerobic activity) You should also stretch after your match and between matches if you are playing in a tennis tournament. Tennis is a dynamic sport so you'll need both dynamic and static stretching. Dynamic stretches form part of your pre-match or training warm-up. They are used to prepare your muscles for the rapid elongation they will incur during the game. Static stretches, on the other hand, are more useful to improve your overall flexibility and are most effectively done at the end as part of your cool down.
Rules for Dynamic Stretching:
- Warm up your body first, then stretch while your muscles are still warm.
- Move through your range of movement, keeping control of the movement with your muscles. Do not allow momentum to control the movement by "flinging" or "throwing" your body parts around.
- You may feel light resistance in your muscles, but you should never feel pain during a stretch.
- Start with slow, low intensity movements, and gradually progress to full-speed movements through range of motion. Complete these motions for several repetitions (10-15 times.)
- Finish with simulated quick tennis movements such as lunging and reaching with practice shots. Repeat for several repetitions (8-10 times.)
Rules for Static Stretching:
- Warm up the muscles first.
- Slowly take your muscles to the end of their range. You will feel slight resistance in the muscle, but you should never feel pain during a stretch.
- Hold the stretch in a static position. Do not bounce.
- Maintain each stretch for 20-30 seconds. Repeat each stretch 3-4 times.
Essential Stretches for tennis:
These muscles are your prime movers for tennis. You'll need to stretch these muscles each time you play. Don't forget to stretch both sides. The stretching program shown below will take about 15 minutes to complete.
Dynamic Stretches:
ennis Physiotherapy in Calgary
Chinook Rehab Centre has helped many athletes recover from injury and return to sport as soon as possible. Correct treatment of an acute injury will minimize recovery time and help to avoid an injury becoming chronic. *Client_company* can also help you prevent re-injury by teaching you how to maintain good posture and muscle balance, prescribing you a thorough stretching regime, and providing tips for tennis equipment selection.
Tennis is a very one-sided sport so the muscles and joints on the dominant side are subject to much greater stress and this can easily lead to injury. Both overuse and acute injuries occur in tennis, but by far most injuries occur due to the repetitive strain over time, causing an overuse problem.
Common tennis injuries include:
