With the start of another tennis season just around the corner, I am reminded of a question that every player should ask themselves before setting foot on a tennis court (or any racquet sports court): Am I fit enough to play and compete without injuring myself?It's an important question that is often overlooked. For most people, an injury on the tennis court can lead to a loss of income at work. For some people, even a brief lost of income can be a devastating blow to their short term financial plans.
Even the most physically fit racquet sports players suffer injuries from time to time. But the fact is that the bulk of injures happen to players who are not fit enough to be playing racquet sports to begin with.
So take this two-minute test and find out if you are fit enough to jump onto the tennis court and start playing this spring.
Put on some shoes and then get down on your hands and knees. Assume a push-up position. Then lower your forearms so that your elbows and forearms are on the ground. Keep your hips locked and your eyes on the ground.
(Seriously. Get down on the floor right now and try this. What you learn in the next two minutes may save you from weeks or months of agony later.)
The position your body is now in is known as "the plank" because your body forms a straight line from your heels to your head and is stiff as a board.
If you can hold this position for two full minutes, you certainly have enough core strength to start playing tennis the moment outdoor season begins next month.
If you can hold the position for one to two minutes, you have enough core strength to begin recreational play. With only a little work, you will be ready for competitive play.
But if you cannot hold this position for one full minute, then forget about it. You should certainly not consider playing competitive tennis and you should probably think twice about playing recreational tennis until you've had at least 6 weeks of core strength training.
If you cannot hold a plank for at least 60 seconds, the chances of doing permanent damage to your back is too great for you to risk. Stay off of the court and enrol in a basic fitness class until you have a stronger core.
The rule of thumb is this: If you can hold a plank for one minute you are strong enough to play recreational racquet sports. Once you can hold it for two minutes, you are ready to compete.
