Playing tennis
Regardless of how some people still view tennis, it’s one of the least expensive ways of getting a great cardio workout and staying trim. If you live in a subdivision or seniors’ community, there’s a good chance your HOA or resident fees allow you to play tennis at no additional cost right in your community. If you live in an apartment you may have courts right outside your building. If not, there’s probably a court you can use for free at a nearby park or public school.
A $20 racket right off the department store shelf seems to work as well as a $150 racket did during the tennis boom a generation ago. The cost of a can of balls has dropped to about $2. A $25 or $30 pair of athletic shoes can get you around a court in comfort. Add it all up and you’re ready to go for as little as $50. If you break a string—and unless you’re hitting the ball like Jimmy Connors used to, that shouldn’t happen often—you don’t have to worry about getting your racket restrung. It’s easier just to buy another one off the shelf. Chances are you’ll have to do that less than once a year.
Of course, you can pour money into club memberships or lessons, but you don’t need to. If it’s physical benefits you want, you can get them regardless of your tennis ability. You’d be surprised how much mileage you can put in during the course of a tennis match, but if you don’t want to overextend yourself you can play halfcourt tennis, serving underhand and hitting all shots to land inside your opponent’s service line. You can devise your own scoring system and invent your own games—or you and another player can simply hit the ball back and forth over the net in an effort to best your personal record for the longest rally.
If you’re competitive, tennis can provide a great physical challenge. But if you’re not particularly competitive, tennis can still provide a wonderful aerobic workout and plenty of fun in the great outdoors with friends, family, and especially grandchildren.
Enjoy that new hobby—and let MedicareMall find the senior health plan that’s best designed for your active senior life!
Are you super adventurous? If you’ve found a new hobby the rest of us couldn’t even imagine, tell us about it!
Just Because You’re a Senior Doesn’t Mean You Can’t Pick up a New Hobby© 2013 MedicareMall.com