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Ace healthcare advice for Wimbledon
17 June 2004
Bupa’s Dr Phil Bell who is looking after the health of next week’s Wimbledon’s stars has advice for any amateurs hitting the courts across Britain this summer.
Dr Bell is the sports physician to the players at this year’s Wimbledon tournament. He says: "Playing tennis is fun, suitable for any age and improves your health. It can make you feel less tired and stressed and gives you an increased sense of vitality by combining the three key elements of exercise - stamina, strength and flexibility. It is also one of the most important ways to strengthen bones and prevent osteoporosis.
"The Wimbledon stars make it look so easy and every year, thousands of people pick up a tennis racket for the first time thinking that they can be the new Venus Williams. However, today’s tennis racquets bring added power and speed to the game and less experienced players are vulnerable to injury due to bad technique. The most common injuries for budding amateurs are fractured hands, arms and ribs, tears to the hip joint and damaged shoulders and elbows," he said.
Dr Bell’s top tips for tennis health are:
- Get the right kit: wearing the right clothes can help prevent injury and make your game more comfortable. Invest in a pair of grass court tennis shoes made of tough material with pockets on the soles and a strong heel cup. Women should invest in a good sports bra to prevent breast ligaments stretching during exercise. Make sure your racket has a grip that is not too big or small, otherwise it will put too much pressure on your forearm muscles and lead to tennis elbow.
- Eat the right food: drink plenty of water before, during and after your game to keep you hydrated. Try to leave at least two hours between eating and playing and stick to high carbohydrate foods such as bread, vegetables and pasta which will fuel your muscles. Or, try a carbohydrate sports drink or fruit juice.
- Get fit: endurance and short high intensity fitness are both vital for playing tennis. Make sure you exercise your legs properly during training to prepare for rapid movement and changes in direction while on court.
- Get strong: arms need strength and co-ordination to hit a tennis ball well. The strength and speed of your serve and many ground shots comes from your trunk which needs to be strong and co-ordinated. Balance exercises and those involving a Swiss ball will help with this.
- Get skilled: tennis demands hand-eye co-ordination. The more the ball spins, the greater the stress on hands, wrists and elbows. Good technique is vital to avoid this.
- Build up slowly: don’t overdo it at the start - you risk injury or exhaustion. Start slowly and gradually increase the length of your game.
- Stretch for success: spend time warming-up your muscles. Start with brisk walking or easy jogging. After your game, slow down gradually by doing some basic stretches.
- Give yourself time to recover: take rest days between exercising, and also give yourself time off if you feel seriously 'under par'.
- Get proper treatment: if you are unlucky enough to suffer an injury, it is important to seek the right treatment quickly. For free health information and factsheets about sports injuries visit www.bupa.co.uk/health. To find out about rehabilitation and physiotherapy services visit www.bupa.co.uk/wellness or call 0845 600 3458 (Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm).
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