Getting Fitness Right

The tennis court on which I stood was littered with tennis balls. They were scattered randomly in conformance with the laws of probability. The laws of tennis.

I stood on the north baseline, tired and sweating. The rapid pulses of my heart were finding expression in my temples and neck. Heart rate elevation was normal as a response to exertion, but this was something else, uncomfortable and disconcerting.

On the far side of the court, the younger player stood, hands on his hips, a serious look on his face. He looked as if another hundred ground strokes would not faze him. Hundreds of balls flying at perilous angles through tennis space, faithful to their assigned trajectories, barely made him sweat. At least that was how it looked to me.

"You okay over there?" he called out.

"Not a problem," I shouted back, and asked him how he felt about hitting crosscourt backhands.

"I don't know, you look spent, man."

I was fresh as a daisy. As buoyant as Mark Spitz on a butterfly lap. As eager as Agassi at the prospect of hitting a half-volley winner from the baseline.

"Sure. If you say so. Agassi."

He came to the net and shook his head. Then he began to gather up the balls with that curious unfolding and folding ball hopper. We didn't say much else. I knew.

Setting Goals, Making Tracks

I knew that day that I had to get fitter to play better tennis. My approach was too haphazard and focused on the nice feeling of hitting the round yellow ball. It lacked a fitness context - and realism. I needed to build an approach to play that would include speed, stamina, strength and more.

The effort to be fit, strong and healthy is a renewable one. 'Renewable' in different meanings - your body is maintained, sustained and strengthened. The workouts that you do to build and strengthen the physical plant are both essential and repeated. It is a cycle, one that can't stop the effects of time but can 'up' your quality of life, now and in the future.

Too often we act as if our minds and bodies were disconnected. Our brains are set on auto-pilot, and they go flying off on their own interesting and neurotic courses. The human brain is truly a powerful thing, and too often it creates its own realities and rules. Part of becoming a fit human is 'training' your brain to reconnect to the rest of you.

Mental coherence, patience, and self-respect are instruments to attaining bigger biceps and achieving greater speed and flexibility.

Nutrition is often associated with dietary deprivation. It should not be. Nutrition is an essential aspect of building and maintaining a solid fitness profile.

Solid nutrition has its own rationale and justification. Switching to a vegetable and fruit-oriented diet will naturally promote weight loss in most people. Eating nutrient-rich foods becomes addictive, in a good way. Should you revert to poor eating habits, the fitness fallout will spur corrective table action.

With a healthier diet, you are likely to eat fewer calories. You will take in more nutrients per calorie; since nutrients are what your body craves, you will stop yearning for chips and sweets. Salt and sugar will be normal, constrained dietary components instead of addiction tyrants.

Philosophy

We at http://uptofitness.com believe in fitness. We see it as building and implementing a workout plan, adopting a positive nutrition policy (treating your body with respect by putting the right things into it), and keeping open and flexible as you pursue you fitness regimen. None of this is easy, but nothing worthwhile ever is.

We also believe that you can enjoy the process. Enjoy planning a health program that essentially puts physical and mental well-being ahead of specific weight or athletic (or vanity) goals. In other words, the baseline and template should be: "What Can I Do to Make Myself Healthy and Productive?"

Is this selfish? Yes, in a good way. For being good to yourself is a critical component of your success in life and your ability to care for and help others. Mistreating yourself - and poor fitness is definitely a form of self-abuse - deprives you of the ability to contribute the full range of talents to others.

Getting Fitness Right. It is a brief expression, a quick phrase. It is easy enough to talk about, and harder to do. Let's do our best, and see where it may lead.

A Tennis Coach On http://UptoFitness.com

Janmeet Rai, Juniors Coach, former Indian Davis Cup team practice partner (World Group semifinals) and former Indian Juniors National Champion, endorses UptoFitness as a primary teaching tool for work with his squad of international Junior players.

"UptoFitness has everything I need in the way of ideas for coaching tennis. My players' results have escalated since I discovered the site. I recommend it to coaches and parents everywhere - especially if they have doubts about their current path. Fitness, nutrition and specific tennis tactics and strategies are all covered comprehensively and accurately."