Why You Should Go To Court ----- For Sports!

Is your exercise getting boring?
Do you get bored with your exercise routine? At some point, most people get bored with their exercise. Boredom is one of the biggest reasons why people quit exercising (3). A great way of avoiding boredom is to try different types of exercises. One unique group of exercises that will chase away the boredom blues are 'court-sports'. Volleyball, basketball, racquetball, and badminton are all 'court-sports' that most of us are familiar with. In spite of our familiarity with these sports, many do not consider these as an alternative for their exercise routine. However, all of these court sports are great ways to beat boredom and gain other advantages as well.

Gain an advantage
Most court sports consist of short periods of high intensity exercise followed by periods of low or moderate intensity exercise (2). This pattern of high intensity/low-moderate intensity exercise is similar to 'interval' workouts that most endurance athletes perform to help gain speed (4). Therefore, participating in a court-sport can help increase your speed as well as improving your endurance. Additionally, because the court sports usually involve some type of implement - for example, a tennis racquet - your hand/eye coordination can improve as you participate in the sport.

Deal with your boss better An often overlooked aspect of court sports is that they are team or partner sports. Unlike individual sports like running or swimming, because of the social interaction with others during the exercise, court sports can help build your interaction and communication skills. Additionally, these improved interaction skills can be useful in your daily life. Who hasn't needed better communication skills in dealing with a boss, a coworker, or even your significant other? Court sports and the interaction that comes with them can help you develop those skills. Further, it has been found that one of the biggest factors that helps people to continue exercising is the social aspect of interacting with others (5). Therefore, playing court sports not only helps prevent boredom and develops new physical skills, they can improve your interaction skills and help you continue to exercise!

How are your knees?
Now, court sports may not be right for everyone. Court sports are a good option for those people that can handle intense exercise. Also, court sports are best suited for those who do not have joint or orthopedic problems. Most of these sports are played on hard surfaces and require a lot of side-to-side movement which can further complicate existing joint problems (2). Therefore, it is always a good idea to check with your physician before you attempt a new type of exercise program.

Okay, I'm sold. Which court sport should I do? Often, your choice of a court sport can be related to the activity you already do. If you run, swim, play hockey, or soccer, you may want to try basketball (2). Because basketball is played on a larger court, it makes more use of your endurance skills. Most of the racquet sports are played on smaller courts and thus require shorter bursts of high intensity exercise. Also, you'll find that if you already play a racquet sport, many of the skills you have will transfer to another racquet sport (1). For example, if you already play tennis, try another racquet sport such as badminton, squash, or racquetball.

So, beat those boring workouts! Go to court…….for sports!

Sidebar: How do I find somewhere to play or someone to play with?
One of the keys to enjoying court sports is to play in a facility close to home with someone that is at your own skill level. So, follow these steps in finding where you can play and who you can play with.

* Look in the telephone book for listings of health clubs with appropriate court facilities. Do not forget facilities that specialize in specific court sports. For example, many cities have indoor tennis facilities.
* Contact these facilities to see if they have a player matching program. In most cases, these facilities will be able to help you find a playing partner(s) that is at the same skill level as you are.
* Consult the internet. Most of the court sports web sites have player matching and/or local club finders as well as a wealth of information about the sport. Here are a few to get started with:
o Racquetball: www.rballonline.com
o Volleyball: www.volleyball.org
o Badminton: www.usabadminton.org
o Squash: www.us-squash.org
o General court sport information: www.court-sports.com

References used:
1. Bloss, MV and RS Hales. Badminton. 8th edition. McGraw-Hill. 2001, Boston, MA.

2. www.court-sports.com (Fitness sections on Tennis, Volleyball, and Basketball)

3. Oman, RF, AC King. Predicting the adoption and maintenance of exercise participants using self-efficacy and previous exercise participation rates. Am. J. Health Promot. 12(3): 154-161, 1998

4. Laursen, PB, DG Jenkins. The scientific basis for High-intensity Interval Training: optimising training programmes and maximising performance in highly trained endurance athletes. Sports Med. 32(1): 53-73, 2002.

5. Estabrooks, PA. Sustaining exercise participation through group cohesion. Exerc. Sport Sci. Reviews. 28(2): 63-67, 2000.