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The biggest misconception that tennis has to overcome is that it is a leisurely activity that is purely recreational. For the beginner this is probably somewhat true. Most beginners and intermediate players spend more time picking up balls and changing sides then actually playing.

The USPTA (United States Professional Tennis Association) supports Cardio Tennis, which has been changing the perception of the game to the non-tennis playing masses. Spinning, running, weightlifting and aerobics are all great ways to get in shape, but are they really that much fun?

Cardio tennis is primarily a fitness activity. The goal is to move constantly and hit as many balls in the given time (usually 60 minutes). Michael Krause, Cardio Tennis national director, says that the typical female (in an eight player group) will burn 300-500 calories and the average male will burn 500-900 calories in an hour.

Another good thing about cardio tennis is that players of different abilities can participate in groups of males and female. Ones ability to hit the ball well isn't that important.

A sample cardio class consists of the following components:

Warm-up: Lasts five-ten minutes. It consists of a general warm-up, dynamic stretching drills and light hitting.

The cardio segment (30-50 minutes) may consist of drill-based and/or play-based activities and sideline drills. Drill-based activities are great for players of all ability levels.

Play-based scenarios are used with players of similar ability and are used to mimic competitive points.

Sideline drills are sports performance drills. These involve a rope ladder (flat on the ground), shuttles, low-level plyometrics and other fitness games. These drills will benefit those athletes who do other sports such as football, cricket, hockey and rugby. The goal is to keep everyone moving. No downtime.

The cool-down segment (five to ten minutes) consists of a lighter activity at the end of the session that includes traditional static stretching. The objective of Cardio Tennis is to keep a player in their recommended heart rate range for 35-50 minutes during a 60 minute session. The heart rate monitor is one way to have a efficient, effective, and ultimately safe workout. It is fun to see what your average heart rate is, how long one is in the zone and how many calories burned.

* James Collieson is an USPTA Professional.[[In-content Ad]]

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