Bend it like Novak Djokovic. 5 off-court tennis ball ways to make you fitter.
These 5 tennis ball exercises improve your coordination and form a fun workout.
Do you belong to 1 billion people who watch tennis?
Yes, you do? Great, what do you like the most about the game?
No, you don’t watch? Me neither. I prefer to do sports instead of watching.
Interesting facts about tennis and tennis balls
- Tennis has been a great game for quite some time. The gift of tennis balls offered to Henry in Shakespeare’s Henry V was portrayed as the final insult which re-ignited the Hundred Years’ War between England and France.
- According to International Tennis Federation, 87 million people played tennis in 2021. That’s more than the population of countries like Germany or Turkey.
- Scientists from the University of Cambridge studied how many ways you can arrange 128 tennis balls. The number they got was so big that it exceeded the total number of particles in the universe.
- tennis balls are used for recovery purposes, being better than foam rollers for certain releases
Why does it make sense to exercise with a tennis ball?
- You can train your brain together with the body. Activities like juggling and bouncing are fun exercises that make your brain work better. Ever heard of hand-eye coordination and its benefits?
- It’s good for training your grip. Also, a tennis ball can be crushed without breaking it.
- A tennis ball is super affordable and easy to carry around, making it a great workout tool.
Today I’m going to gift you 5 exercises using a tennis ball. They can be performed anywhere with any kind of tennis ball. You just need one. I like to do time-based exercises when you keep doing the same move for 30 secs or 1 minute. If you prefer counting reps, please feel free to keep it at 10–15 per exercise.
Exercise 1. Floor bounce.
Basketball style vertical bouncing with a tennis ball. Cardio and coordination combined.
- relax your knees
- tiptoe and turn the same side knee inside when you hit the ball
Exercise 2. Basic juggling.
Zero level juggling. Just try to get the feel of it.
- just throw the ball with one hand and catch with another
- try standing on one leg to make it more challenging
Exercise 3. The squat catch.
A fun full-body exercise that is great for coordination.
- start by dropping the ball from an overhead position
- quickly squat and try to catch it using both arms as low as possible
- the squat form is important, try to keep your knees in place and sit back
Exercise 4. Under knee pass.
Another full-body move that improves your mobility as well.
- start with both arms over your head
- raise one knee and pass the ball underneath
- return your arms overhead and do the other side.
Exercise 5. Chest squeeze.
Might look unusual to you, this exercise activates your upper body as a whole.
- keep your back straight
- put the ball between your palms as low as possible, keep your fingers open
- breath out and squeeze as hard as you can. Beast mode on!
These 5 tennis ball exercises improve your coordination and train your grip. They can help to make your workouts fun whenever you do them. Thank you!
P.s. Need more exercise ideas to work out from home? Check out my recent articles
