Being an amateur or professional tennis player can have subtle yet definite effects on your life in unexpected ways. Playing sport or exercising, in general, gives you more than toned muscles and better lung capacity. Tennis, in particular, involves a lot of determination, strategizing, focus and coordination that many other sports might lack. As you play it more and more, you’ll begin to see how it changes not only your body but also your mind and lifestyle in general. Here are a few of the many ways playing tennis can affect your life.
One: Business
In this digital age, many people have taken to the internet and created their own business. Entrepreneurs all over the world require tenacity, dedication, and concentration in order to find success. Playing tennis means that you are already on your way to refining these qualities. People who want to focus their mind and put their energy into their dreams can learn a lot from professional tennis players who make snap decisions while on the court. In business and in tennis you need to be adaptable and quick-thinking. For example, these traits allow you to do things for yourself. Instead of waiting for other people to help or outsourcing and costing yourself money, you take the initiative to use a free poster maker and get the job done. Rather than waste time being indecisive, you’ll have a clearer picture of what you want from your business. There’s a reason the movies have a common trope of executive businesspeople spending their free time playing tennis.
Two: Physical and Mental Health
Any exercise is good for you, but tennis, in particular, offers unique ways of getting both mentally and physically fit. The most obvious is the fact that your heart rate rises and muscles all over your body are engaged in both movement and resistance. Flexibility is important in tennis, too, as you twist and pivot to meet the ball. The mental benefits of playing tennis are less obvious. Tennis players have to possess more focus as they are constantly watching out for a small moving object. The coordination involved in connecting racket and ball builds stronger pathways in the brain that can apply to other parts of life. Your concentration increases as does your ability to multitask. On the court, you must have mental and physical agility, both of which come in useful elsewhere in life.
Three: Social Life
Playing tennis is inherently social as it requires two or more players. The act of engaging in friendly competition creates a unique bond on and off the court. Unlike sports with larger teams and more people, tennis allows for getting to know one another much better. You also learn more about other people’s body language as you’re constantly anticipating the other player’s moves. This awareness can leak into everyday life, and you might find yourself becoming extra in tune with other people’s intentions. Since tennis requires you to respond quickly to someone else, you could become a better listener and more adept in conversation.
