Tennis Fitness for the Love of it: A Mindful Approach to Fitness for Injury-free Tennis
4.5/5
()
About this ebook
If you are the tennis player who loves the game and constantly strives for improvement, this book is for you. You may play tennis to remain fit, and maybe not realize that you need to become fit to play good tennis. Improving your fitness is as important—if not more—as working on your tennis game. As you strive for improvement and increase your playing frequency, it is very common that you strain a muscle or experience daily aches and pains in different areas of your body, and they tend to move around. When the achy knee is good again, then there is your hip hurting. In a few weeks, the hip is good, and you feel tennis elbow... sounds familiar?
The main idea of this book is to create an awareness of your body and to learn how to listen what your body is telling you. Playing tennis is harsh on your muscular-skeletal system and every tennis player develops overuse injuries eventually. These injuries are preventable if you learn to listen to your body.
Awareness is your first step to be able to correct your problems and to improve. If you don’t know what is going on, then you cannot know what to do to become better. For example, if you were aware that your future Achilles problem is forming right now, because your opposite hip and glute are not engaging properly and functionally, then you could correct the problem immediately, and as a result, you will prevent the future Achilles problem. These small dysfunctions and imbalances are easy to ignore, because most of the time you don’t even know about them, until it is too late. However, if you are aware and if you talk to your body and listen what it is answering you back, you will be a master of your own health, which will enable you to play pain-free tennis on high levels.
You may think, “Yeah, I am listening to my body, but it is not saying anything.” To tell the truth, your body is talking to you all the time, you are just not used to understanding its language. In the beginning on your journey to awareness of your body, you may not be able to feel anything other than that your legs are sore or your lower back tight. With regular practice and introspection, you will become aware of more subtle signs, such as a few trigger points in your glutes that start causing issues in your opposite knee or ankle. At this state of awareness, you can prevent any issue before it happens. Develop a habit of always “searching” your body, touching and pushing and squeezing your muscles, looking for tender points and tightness that is felt only on deeper levels. That is your body talking to you, and this book will help you to understand. You will learn basic series of stretches, strengthening exercises, myofascial release, and much more. The exercises will not just tell you what to do and how—anybody can tell you that. They will explain the meaning behind their value and importance. You will learn the meaning of balance in your body, the interaction between the muscle groups and joints, and how everything is connected. The goal of this book is to teach you the basic awareness of your body, so you can always catch and correct a developing problem that would show several months or even years later.
This book has shown thousands of athletes the mindful way to become fit and to play injury-free tennis for the rest of their lives, with only a minimal effort. What are you waiting for?
Suzanna McGee
Suzanna McGee is a former Ms. Natural Olympia drug-free bodybuilding champion, an experienced athletic trainer, fitness expert and competitive tennis player. With her teaching and writings, Suzanna possesses the tremendous ability to inspire athletes to be the best that they can be. Suzanna’s special training style that combines many different techniques of training, healing, and injury prevention, brings a lot of success and great results to anybody who learns how to master it. Suzanna has been an athlete since the age of eleven. While living in Czechoslovakia and Sweden, she was a national level skier, and after moving to California, she became a drug-free bodybuilder and artistic roller-skater. At the age of 38, Suzanna picked up tennis and for the past seven years, she has been fully committed and passionate about the game. Suzanna’s remarkable fitness has allowed her to reach high levels quickly. Discovering the “magic potion” for ageless competitive tennis through mindful fitness, this 45-year-old true athlete plays tennis daily, and without aches and pains. In Europe, Suzanna has coached fitness for national hockey and ski teams. Currently, she is teaching fitness to tennis players and other athletes. Besides the love for sports, she has two master’s degrees in computer science, and speaks six languages. Suzanna resides in Venice Beach, California.
Related to Tennis Fitness for the Love of it
Related ebooks
Absolute Tennis: The Best And Next Way To Play The Game Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Mental Training for Tennis: Your Winning Mindset Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTennis: Tennis Strategies: The Top 100 Best Things That You Can Do To Greatly Improve Your Tennis Game Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Mental Training For Tennis: Using Sports Psychology and Eastern Spiritual Practices As Tennis Training Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsIn Your Face Tennis Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSecrets of the Natural Athlete (and how they can be yours) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSports Injury Handbook: Professional Advice for Amateur Athletes Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMushin Tennis Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAgeless Painless Tennis: Free Yourself from Pain, Injuries, and Limitations & Unlock Your Athletic Potential Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLet Them Play: The Mindful Way to Parent Kids for Fun and Success in Sports Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFit to Play Tennis: High Performance Training Tips Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Game, Set and Match: Secret Weapons of the World's Top Tennis Players Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Tennis Injury Handbook: Professional Advice for Amateur Athletes Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Instant tennis 2: Winning the mental game Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTeaching Tennis Volume 2: The Development of Advanced Players Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Ultimate Guide to Weight Training for Tennis Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5Tennis Made Easy: Essential Strokes & Strategies for the Modern Game Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Biomechanical Principles of Tennis Technique: Using Science to Improve Your Strokes Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5114 Tennis Strategies, Mental Tactics, and Drills: Improve Your Game In 10 Days Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The 100 Best Tennis Lessons Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5101 Youth Tennis Drills Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Tennis Game Theory: Dialing in Your A-Game Every Day Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Soft Science of Tennis Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Instant tennis: Skills and techniques to improve your game Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Tennis Training: Enhancing On-court Performance Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Tennis Science for Tennis Players Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Mental Emotional Tennis Work Book: The Match Chart Collection Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTeaching Tennis Volume 3: The Development of Champions Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Mental Emotional Tennis Work Book: Blunders and Cures Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Sports & Recreation For You
Anatomy of Strength and Conditioning: A Trainer's Guide to Building Strength and Stamina Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding: The Bible of Bodybuilding, Fully Updated and Revis Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Straight Shooter: A Memoir of Second Chances and First Takes Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Ben Hogan’s Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Path Lit by Lightning: The Life of Jim Thorpe Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5It Takes What It Takes: How to Think Neutrally and Gain Control of Your Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How Am I Doing?: 40 Conversations to Have with Yourself Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Rugby For Dummies Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Advanced Bushcraft: An Expert Field Guide to the Art of Wilderness Survival Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Getting to Neutral: How to Conquer Negativity and Thrive in a Chaotic World Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMind Gym: An Athlete's Guide to Inner Excellence Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Confident Mind: A Battle-Tested Guide to Unshakable Performance Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Baseball 100 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Zen in the Art of Archery Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Hard Parts: A Memoir of Courage and Triumph Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Field Guide to Knots: How to Identify, Tie, and Untie Over 80 Essential Knots for Outdoor Pursuits Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsJust Tyrus: A Memoir Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Guide to Improvised Weaponry: How to Protect Yourself with WHATEVER You've Got Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Winning Ugly: Mental Warfare in Tennis--Lessons from a Master Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Pocket Guide to Essential Knots: A Step-by-Step Guide to the Most Important Knots for Everyone Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPeak: The New Science of Athletic Performance That is Revolutionizing Sports Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Knot Bible: The Complete Guide to Knots and Their Uses Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Take Your Eye Off the Ball 2.0: How to Watch Football by Knowing Where to Look Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5They Shoot Canoes, Don't They? Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Breathing Book: 11 Exercises to Increase Relaxation, Reduce Stress, and Improve Physical Performance Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Strength Training for Women: Training Programs, Food, and Motivation for a Stronger, More Beautiful Body Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Reviews for Tennis Fitness for the Love of it
3 ratings0 reviews
Book preview
Tennis Fitness for the Love of it - Suzanna McGee
Tennis Fitness for the Love of it
a Mindful Approach to Fitness for Injury-free Tennis
Published by Zuzi Publishing at Smashwords, May 2011
Copyright © 2010 by Suzanna McGee
Photos Copyright © 2010 by Suzanna McGee
This book is available in print at most online retailers.
Smashwords Edition License Notes
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashowrds.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. For printed paperback copies or permission to reproduce excerpts, please visit: http://www.TennisFitnessLove.com for further information.
To all the tennis players of any age and skill level, who always strive for improvement and who never stop believing that the impossible is possible, and who know that there are no limits to growth and performance other than the human mind.
Acknowledgements
I would like to give my sincere appreciations to all the people who supported me, directly or indirectly, in creating this book: my mom, Sonja Bucicova, even though over 6,000 miles away, for always supporting me in all the endeavors that I got myself into through my entire life; Carolyn Chadwick, my dearest friend who can truly appreciate the value of the body being her temple, for all the positive energy, love, and encouragement; Michael Granberry, M.D., who helped me through all my writing times in many creative ways, and for his photographic skills.
Special thanks to all my tennis partners and clients, whom I forced to join me to exercise and stretch, for their patience and friendship; my Facebook friends for opinions, feedbacks, and kind appreciation of my writings and ideas; my coaches who helped me to become a skilled athlete so I can truly appreciate the importance of fitness.
Lastly, hugs and rubs to my Labradors Zuzi and Peanut for their unconditional love, loyalty, and patience with me when I was sitting behind the keyboard while we could have been chasing the squirrels.
Warning
This book was designed to provide information and overview on simple exercise routines, stretches, and self-massage to be performed in addition to tennis play. This book is not intended to be used as a substitute for medical advice from a qualified professional. All your medical matters require proper medical supervision. Before beginning any exercise program, including those outlined in this book, you should consult your doctor or an appropriate healthcare professional. The author and publisher shall not have any responsibility or liability to any person or entity with respect to loss or damage caused directly or indirectly by the information in this book.
About the Author
Suzanna McGee is a former Ms. Natural Olympia drug-free bodybuilding champion, an experienced athletic trainer, fitness expert and competitive tennis player. With her teaching and writings, Suzanna possesses the tremendous ability to inspire athletes to be the best that they can be. Suzanna’s special training style that combines many different techniques of training, healing, and injury prevention, brings a lot of success and great results to anybody who learns how to master it.
Suzanna has been an athlete since the age of eleven. While living in Czechoslovakia and Sweden, she was a national level skier, and after moving to California, she became a drug-free bodybuilder and artistic roller-skater. At the age of 38, Suzanna picked up tennis and for the past seven years, she has been fully committed and passionate about the game. Suzanna’s remarkable fitness has allowed her to reach high levels quickly. Discovering the magic potion
for ageless competitive tennis through mindful fitness, this 45-year-old true athlete plays tennis daily, and without aches and pains.
In Europe, Suzanna has coached fitness for national hockey and ski teams. Currently, she is teaching fitness to tennis players and other athletes. Besides the love for sports, she has two master’s degrees in computer science, and speaks six languages. Suzanna resides in Venice Beach, California.
You can reach Suzanna via her Web site at http://www.TennisFitnessLove.com or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/tennisfitness.
Table of Contents
Joint Mobility
Chapter 1: Foot Circles and Flexes for Achilles Tendons
Chapter 2: Cats and Dogs for Lower Back Pain
Chapter 3: Elbow Touches for Shoulder Pain and Tennis Elbow
Chapter 4: Arm Circles for Shoulder and Elbow Pain
Chapter 5: Wall Squat
Chapter 6: Kinesio Taping
Chapter 7: Sprained Ankle Rehabilitation
Chapter 8: Knee Injury Rehabilitation
Chapter 9: Sun Salutations
Myofascial Release
Chapter 10: Trigger Points and Chronic Pain
Chapter 11: Foot Myofascial Release for Plantar Fasciitis
Chapter 12: Lower Leg Myofascial Release for Shin Splints
Chapter 13: Calf Myofascial Release
Chapter 14: Quadriceps Myofascial Release for Knee Pain
Chapter 15: Hip Flexor Myofascial Release for Lower Back Pain
Chapter 16: TFL Muscle Myofascial Release for Hip Pain
Chapter 17: IT Band Myofascial Release for Knee Pain
Chapter 18: Piriformis Myofascial Release for Sciatica Pain
Chapter 19: Hamstrings Myofascial Release for Lower Back Pain
Chapter 20: Upper Back Myofascial Release for Neck Pain
Chapter 21: Chest Myofascial Release for Shoulder Pain
Chapter 22: Myofascial Release Recovery Routine
Flexibility
Chapter 23: Calf Stretch for Feet Problems and Shin Splints
Chapter 24: Glute Stretch for Lower Back Pain
Chapter 25: Hamstring Stretch for Lower Back Pain
Chapter 26: Kneeling Quadriceps Stretch for Knee Pain
Chapter 27: Seated Groin Stretch to Prevent Groin Pull
Chapter 28: External Hip Stretch for Knee and Hip Pain
Chapter 29: Supine Groin Stretch to Prevent Hip Problems
Chapter 30: Hip Crossover Stretch for Tight Hips
Chapter 31: Spinal Twist to Relieve Lower Back Pain
Chapter 32: Straight-Leg Hip Twist to Align the Hips
Chapter 33: Rotator Cuff Stretch for Shoulder Pain
Chapter 34: Back-bend: The Total Stretch
Chapter 35: Static Stretching Recovery Routine
Strength and Power
Chapter 36: Triangle Lift, aka Windmill
Chapter 37: Walking Lunges
Chapter 38: Jumping Lunges
Chapter 39: Functional Crossover Lunges
Chapter 40: Jump Squats
Chapter 41: Jump Squats with Open Legs
Chapter 42: One-leg Squat: The Master Exercise
Chapter 43: Glute Bridge
Chapter 44: Hip Flexor Strengthening
Chapter 45: Burpee: The Ultimate Conditioning Exercise
Chapter 46: Plank with Knee-To-Elbow Touch
Chapter 47: Plank with Arm and Leg Lifts
Chapter 48: Plank with Hip Twists
Chapter 49: Side Plank with Leg Lifts
Chapter 50: Upper Back Row with Resistance Band
Chapter 51: Shoulder External Rotation with Resistance Band
Chapter 52: Mini-Workout: Legs, Core, and Shoulders
Chapter 53: Mini-Workout: Legs, Core, and Agility
Chapter 54: Mini-Workout: Core and Upper Body Stabilizers
Happy Feet
Chapter 55: Soccer Ball fun Agility
Chapter 56: Jumping Rope
Chapter 57: Four-Square Drill
Chapter 58: Running Stairs
Chapter 59: Dynamic Warm-up
Other Performance Elements
Chapter 60: Hydration
Chapter 61: Nutrition
Chapter 62: Sleep for Better Performance
Chapter 63: Eye Exercises to Improve Vision
Chapter 64: Brain Exercises for Mental Power
Epilogue: It Is Never Too Late to Become Functional, Fit and Healthy
Suggested Readings
Prologue
This book is little in size, yet big in knowledge. Carry it in your tennis bag, purse, or your gym backpack. Pull it out often and reread the chapters repeatedly, until you develop an awareness of your body. This awareness will enable you to improve. Read and learn until you hear what your body is telling you. Like any mastery, to become aware needs to be practiced regularly. Strengthening your weaknesses will make you an even better athlete. This book is your friend after your tennis practice when you lie down in the grass to reflect and stretch. Small things make the biggest difference if you do them consistently and over prolonged periods. Just half an hour a day of conscious training and striving for balance will make a significant difference in no more than a few months. In the long term, you will always play tennis without chronic pains and injuries. Practice conscious tennis fitness for the love of it.
Back to Table of Contents
Introduction
If you are the tennis player who loves the game and constantly strives for improvement, this book is for you. You may play tennis to remain fit, and maybe not realize that you need to become fit to play good tennis. Improving your fitness is as important—if not more—as working on your tennis game. As you strive for improvement and increase your playing frequency, it is very common that you strain a muscle or experience daily aches and pains in different areas of your body, and they tend to move around. When the achy knee is good again, then there is your hip hurting. In a few weeks, the hip is good, and you feel tennis elbow… sounds familiar?
There are many great books on tennis conditioning on the market. Some are more scientific than others, and each one has a value to add into your tennis conditioning. So what is different about this book? It is not an exercise book, or stretching book, or a conditioning book per se, even though it contains all of that. The main idea of this book is to create an awareness of your body and to learn how to listen what your body is telling you. Playing tennis is harsh on your muscular-skeletal system and every tennis player develops overuse injuries eventually. These injuries are preventable if you learn to listen to your body.
Awareness is your first step to be able to correct your problems and to improve. If you don’t know what is going on, then you cannot know what to do to become better. For example, if you were aware that your future Achilles problem is forming right now, because your opposite hip and glute are not engaging properly and functionally, then you could correct the problem immediately, and as a result, you will prevent the future Achilles problem. These small dysfunctions and imbalances are easy to ignore, because most of the time you don’t even know about them, until it is too late. However, if you are aware and if you talk to your body and listen what it is answering you back, you will be a master of your own health, which will enable you to play pain-free tennis on high levels.
The older you are, the more accumulated imbalances you have in your body, which means less functional joints and muscle groups. Once you are injured, it takes a lot of effort to get yourself back to balance. You may get chronic