Many benefits come from having a life-long activity outside of your daily career and work routine. You should seek out something you are passionate about and yet having no direct ties (though many benefits) to your chosen profession. As a “Million Miler” on Delta Air Lines (and inching toward two million), I have found that having a diversion outside of the workplace is a surefire way to help bring balance into your life. Whether you love to swing a racket, golf club, or hit the gym, having an activity that you are passionate about outside of your professional career can be truly uplifting, providing you that extra energy to propel you through the work week. Here are 10 benefits I have found from the life time sport of tennis which can be applied to many areas of your life including improving your work capabilities in the process.
1. Tennis can be a stress reliever. When you are out on the court and a nice lingering short ball is in front of you, hitting a solid overhead can really be satisfying and take some of the tension from the past week out of your system. According to researchers at the Mayo Clinic, exercise in general has some direct stress-busting benefits including pumping up your endorphins. Endorphins are the production of your brain’s feel-good neurotransmitters (which is often referred to as a runner’s high), a rousing game of tennis can also contribute to this same feeling. Tennis also provides meditation in movement, by allowing you to forget the day’s dilemmas and irritations focusing on the pure movement of your body. By focusing on a single task such as tennis and the resulting energy and optimism it brings, this can help you remain calm and clear in everything you do. Finally, the exercise improves your overall mood by increasing your self-confidence and lowering the symptoms associated with mild depression and anxiety giving you a sense of command over your body and your life.
2. Tennis can be a calorie burner. Sitting in front of the computer each day for hours on end or on the phone with hundreds of conference calls are not strenuous calorie burning exercises. Having a sport like tennis where you are running around continuously after a little yellow ball can really help you burn those pent up calories. Tennis provides a solid cardiovascular workout which including running, balance, and muscle control. According to many calorie counters, playing tennis can burn over 350 calories per hour while sitting at your computer/work desk only burns about 100 calories per hour (depending on your weight).
3. Tennis can be a health outlet. Drinking gallons of water and sweating while running after that yellow ball can add to a more healthful you rather than drinking endless diet cokes and snacking while at your computer or desk. I sometimes wonder, how how many extra pounds I would have gained if I had not taken up the lifelong sport of tennis? I would hate to contemplate that.
4. Tennis can be a real social networking avenue, meeting other pent up professionals like you who enjoy playing off some steam each weekend on the courts. Also watching your teammates play and allowing you the time to interact with others in ‘real time’ rather than texting or via conference calls all week can really be beneficial to your relationship building and networking skills. This activity can be a real lost art these days with all the technology we have in place in the workforce and at home. Having to meet real people on a real concrete or clay court is not a virtual experience.
5. Tennis teaches you the art of sportsmanship and mediation strategies. These techniques can greatly benefit your professional career allowing you to deal with missed line calls and cranky pent up professionals unwinding for the week. Where else can you learn to smile and realize the good in life when your opponents are making obviously bad line calls when the score is tight? Remember the saying, “What challenges us can make us stronger.” Ever have to hold back a partner who is ready to jump the net and clobber the guys on the other side or better yet ‘not shake their hand’ at the end of the match (where hand shaking is customary)? This practice improves your strengthening skills as well as your mediation and sportsmanship skills.
6. Tennis creates lasting friendships. If you have to play with a partner each week and work through who takes the ball and when, helping them to remain calm (as in #5 above) as well as enjoying their company away from work (e.g. the social networking benefits), you are bound to create lasting friendships through the weeks and years to come. Many of my teammates, I have known for over twenty years and seen them through many life long situations. I can truly say, they are friends for life.
7. Tennis can be a mind reliever. Focusing on that little yellow ball rather than the raise you did not get, sale you lost, or co-worker who did not get their work done, can be a great mind reliever. Simply focusing on that ball rather than multitasking the myriad of emails, text messages and conference calls you have to worry about on a daily basis can certainly be a mind release. As #1 above already stated, by focusing on a single task like tennis, this approach can help you remain calm and clear in everything you do.
8. Tennis can improve your strategic thinking. Having to outwit the opponents through strategic thinking, analyzing their strengths and weaknesses, to win a match can be very uplifting as well as really work your brain. I can not tell you how many times I have lost a match to a weaker opponent who ‘out thought my partner and I’ or won matches to better, stronger players. We tell ourselves to concentrate on each point and no kidding that is what you need to do to win. Focusing on a return of serve, sequence of shots, or getting in your first serve can all require strategic thinking skills. Taking these simple lessons to your work place such as focusing on a task rather than multitasking or concentrating on a few key areas of work for the week can really help your game (both on and off the court).
9. Tennis can improve your flexibility. Ever stretch for a high overhead or reach for an angle shot? Have you seen Kim Clijsters do the splits on the court to reach a ball and make a return? Tennis can put you in some strange but flexible positions, improving your flexibility as well as stamina. Having to move both up the court, back through the court as well as side to side can teach you the art of flexibility of motion. Being flexible can come in handy as well in the office. Flexibility of tasks and of your mind can allow for some great ideas. What office has that kind of reach?
10. Most of all, tennis is fun. Laughing also reduces stress as well as having fun spending time with others. Do not forget to laugh when you miss that overhead! Enjoy the moment. With my tennis teams, we can be found getting together to share a good cold beer or tasty Margarita and nachos after a hard fought match. No matter what food you like, there is something to say about sharing in the camaraderie and fun.
Whatever activity you choose, please just choose one and make it something other than the everyday tasks of your job/professional career. There really are so many possibilities. As the mayo clinic/health reports show, exercise can help you clear your mind, focus your efforts, and allow you to live longer, healthier lives. What better way to accomplish so much in such a short period of time! Who wouldn’t want to improve your mood, burn calories, combat chronic diseases, sleep better, and boost your energy level? Go out and try something now.
What’s your passion? Share it with me via my website (see below). How has it shaped your life? I’d love to hear from you.
