[Sunday, March 15, 2020 4:59 p.m.]

"Over 40" fitness special for tennis players

This year we want to present you another pre-season fitness special . And a very special one for the best agers in tennis, i.e. the “Over 40s” . Why? Because there are a lot of reasons that require a special fitness program for the “older” generation. Yes, and because we know from our own experience that as we get older, the body no longer always works the way we would like. It's true that things often work quite well on the tennis court during training or a match, but then your back starts to ache and ache for days afterwards. The already damaged and arthritic knee hurts, annoying strains or inflammation come much faster and more often. Together with the Australian fitness “popes” Nathan and Giselle Martin, we want to present you a fitness program over the next few weeks with which you can primarily get yourself fit for the upcoming clay court season. And of course the program is also ideal for keeping fit during the current Corona crisis and creating a good foundation for the time afterwards.

Before we start practicing, let's first look at the reasons why fitness training for us "Over 40's" has to look a little different than the fitness program for young people in their 20s.

From the age of 30 onwards we lose strength and muscle mass, our metabolism slows down and and and...

After the age of 30, without training, we lose about five percent of muscle mass per decade. That's quite a lot. Less strength means less performance and of course a potentially higher susceptibility to injury. But endurance and the ability to recover also decrease with age.

The fact that we no longer recover so quickly also has something to do with changing hormonal balance as we get older. In addition, our metabolism changes due to the reduced muscle mass, which in turn can lead to weight gain. Reducing excess pounds is no longer as easy and quick as it was when you were younger.

Stop whining and complaining - age-appropriate training is the order of the day!

There are various other “construction sites” that open up as we get older. But before we fall into old age depression, there is some good news! With “age-appropriate” training, many of these aging processes can be stopped or at least reduced. And that's exactly why we'll be providing you with lots of information and exercises over the next few weeks.

all-round fitness program in advance , we recommend the online training program from Martin Method Tennis Fitness . Australian tennis fitness gurus Nathan and Giselle Martin have put together a special Over 40's program. A program with which the two of them helped Martina Navratilova, among others, to become double champion at the Australian Open and Wimbledon in 2003 at the age of 47 (!). So a program that works – if you do it! Because age is not an obstacle to success – not even on the tennis court!