It is well known that keeping physically active is essential for overall good health. Regular exercise not only helps to maintain a healthy weight but also lowers blood pressure and cholesterol and reduces the risk of heart disease.
On Santes Dwynwen Day, we at Tennis Wales are raising awareness of the importance of looking after your heart by staying active.
It is recommended by the NHS that adults need to do at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity a week and strength activities on two or more days a week. However, a recent report by the British Heart Foundation suggested that a significant amount of people in UK are failing to meet recommendations for physical activity, with roughly 20 million adults in the UK being physically inactive.
These statistics are particularly concerning as a sedentary lifestyle can increase the risk of a whole host of serious health issues such as obesity, high blood pressure and poor cholesterol levels – all of which can lead to heart attack.
According to the British Heart Foundation, physical inactivity is responsible for an estimated five million deaths globally. The study also found that over 42 per cent of the adult population in Wales are physically inactive.
The findings suggest that regular physical activity reduces the risk of coronary heart disease by up to 35 per cent and reduces the risk of early death by as much as 30 per cent. As staying active is a key strategy in preventing heart disease, at Tennis Wales we want to encourage people to keep up an active lifestyle, with guidance from your doctor.
Adam Fletcher, head of British Heart Foundation Cymru, said: “Research tells us that physical activity reduces your risk of heart disease and also lowers your cholesterol and blood pressure. Whatever your age, being active now will make an immediate impact on your health and well-being, and that’s why building physical activity into your daily routine is important.”
Like all forms of exercise, tennis is a great way of improving your physical health, and has the added benefits of being an all-inclusive sport, suitable for any age and ability.
Although any type of physical activity is good for overall health and fitness, racquet sports have been found to be the most beneficial in helping people live longer.
A study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that playing racquet sports was associated with a 56 per cent lower risk from heart death. Tennis also has the added benefit of being a very sociable sport in which clubs and organised activities off the pitch are viewed as incredibly important.
Often individuals who have larger social networks associated with sport tend to continue activities into later life, which results in longer-term health benefits.
One individual who has experienced the benefits of physical activity on health in later life is 68-year-old Tony Costa, who has claimed that tennis saved his life.
Tony was clinically diagnosed as morbidly obese and weighed over 26 stone at his heaviest four years ago. He was suffering from high blood pressure, which meant he was at serious risk of a stroke or a heart attack.
At his heaviest, Tony found himself unable to get to his feet unaided. This acted as a catalyst to get fit to save his health. Tony, with the support of his wife, decided to pick up a racquet and joined Craig-y-Don Tennis Club in Llandudno.
“Never in my wildest dreams had I imagined playing sport again. Having been unable to bend down and pick up a ball at one time, just being on court was a minor miracle.
“Bored with simply dieting, you could say that tennis has in a way saved my life. It’s helped my marriage and it’s given us both a new set of valued friends.
“I can’t imagine my life without tennis and I can’t express adequately enough how excited and motivated I am by the sport. I get a massive adrenaline rush from hitting a really good shot or retrieving a ball that I couldn’t have got anywhere near in the past.”
Having lost 11 stone by dieting and playing tennis, Tony is now off all medication and continues to play at Rhos on Sea LTC. The sport has become an integral part of Tony and his wife’s life and the couple play tennis on an almost daily basis both indoors and outdoors. Tony believes that being part of a sports club motivates you to stay active more than exercising alone.
An important part of our mission statement at Tennis Wales is to promote wellbeing and an active lifestyle. We want to motivate people to take part in any type of sport, regardless of their background or ability. We provide specialist training for our coaches to deal with all types of players with different backgrounds and abilities.
Our vision is to make tennis an all-inclusive sport by 2020 by increasing participation of players from all walks of life and support them with the help of our trained and experienced coaches.