LTA Tennis at Home series celebrated for helping families stay active
• 3 MINUTE READ
As people up and down the country adapt to spending more time at home, it is more important than ever for the whole family to keep active.
With this in mind, the LTA has pulled together 12 fun activities and exercises that parents and children can play at home, to hone their tennis skills while getting crucial exercise.
Whilst many may feel more restricted at home, the Tennis at Home series proves there are plenty of exercises that you can do right from your own living room or garden, and tennis is a fun way for everyone to get involved.
Launched shortly after the Government’s introduction of social distancing measures, the video content has been widely praised.
Oliver Dowden, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport celebrated the LTA’s work as part of the ‘creativity, ingenuity and community spirit’ in his sector.
Chris Pollard, LTA Head of Strategy & Innovation, said: “We are delighted to be able to help children and families stay fit and healthy at home with this series of LTA Youth Tennis at Home videos. We reacted quickly to the new social distancing measures by creating this content which has been very well received both on social media and within Government.
“The activities are easy to complete in small spaces with siblings, parents or carers. As well as being a fun way to stay active during this difficult period, the activities in these videos will also develop balance, coordination and other essential motor skills that children develop through playing tennis.”
First up, why not try your hand at 'Floor Tennis'? Grab yourself a partner, a racket and a ball and start passing the ball between you on the ground. Make sure you keep swapping hands and always stop the ball in front of you. See how many you can get up to.
Next we're going to test your reactions with the 'Switch Catch'. This is a great game that you can play indoors. Stand opposite your partner with a ball holding it out in front of you. On the count of 3 you're both going to drop the ball and try and catch your partner's after the bounce. This one's definitely trickier than it looks...
'Hand Ball Rally' is a great way to practice your shot positioning, changing from side to side to hit the ball back to your partner using your hand. Always make sure to swap over after 5 shots, so both players have a turn at hitting and receiving.
Now let's put these all together and get some rallies going with 'High 5 Rallies'. With a partner, drop the ball and after the bounce, gently hit it in the air for the other player to catch on their racket - that's a rally of 1. Then on the next go, see if you can get both hit it to each other before catching - that's a rally of 2. Test yourself and see how many shots you can get in one rally.
Where to find more
If you've enjoyed these fun tennis exercises you can do at home, there are plenty more available at the LTA's Tennis at Home webpage.
Stay active!
For all the latest home fitness and tennis exercises for the whole family be sure to follow the LTA on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, subscribe on YouTube, and sign up to the LTA's free newsletter.
