Department for Culture, Media and Sport
TV presenter Kirsty Gallacher explains why Cardio Tennis is a fun way to get fit for everyone and invites you to find out for yourselves this weekend.
Having a healthy and active lifestyle is extremely important to me and sport has been a major part of my life. Whether it’s taking part or watching, tennis has been a particular passion, so when I had the chance to get back on court with Cardio Tennis – a fitness workout on court – I couldn’t wait. As part of this I’ll be at Westfield London in Shepherds Bush on today and tomorrow as the Lawn Tennis Association encourages January shoppers to get on court and give it a go as part of their New Year fitness drives.
If you’ve not heard of Cardio Tennis before don’t worry, it’s simple to understand and really easy for people of all ages and abilities to get involved in. It’s a fun and sociable tennis-inspired group fitness class played to up tempo music. The average person burns about 600 calories in an hour-long session and you certainly don’t need to be very good at tennis to enjoy it and get a good workout.
Open to all
I played tennis quite a bit when I was younger but was really rusty when I picked up my racket again. But that didn’t matter because whether the ball goes in or out is irrelevant as the main purpose is to get fit, have fun and build your confidence in a group on court.
I’m lucky, that in my job I can talk about sport all day and I want to help inspire people – in particular women – to get out and get involved themselves. We saw from the Olympics and Paralympics that there are so many amazing women competing in a whole range of sports and showing us all what can be achieved. We’re not all going to compete in the Olympics, of course, but that shouldn’t stop us from getting fit, feeling better and enjoying ourselves while we do it.
Cardio Tennis is not about going to the gym and pounding away on a treadmill by yourself. It’s about turning up at a group session, having a bit of fun and getting fit while you do it.
Get involved
Whether you play tennis regularly or have never played before, you can get plenty out of it. I think the event at Westfield in London this weekend will give people a little snap-shot of what it’s like and what’s involved. There is even a chance to join in and try it for yourself! There are more than 600 venues across the country that offer Cardio Tennis, from your local club, park site or gym.
I’ve been using Cardio Tennis as part of my fitness routines recently and I can already see the difference. If you’re looking for a reason to dig out your trainers and get fit in 2013, come and find out what Cardio Tennis is all about.
If you can’t make it to Westfield this weekend then you can find your nearest Cardio Tennis session at www.allplaytennis.com