Every TennisTraveller knows all too well how tense and painful their muscles can become. Tennis puts a strain on the entire body, and while there are some general areas we need to focus on to keep them stretched and flexible, each of you may have specific problem areas that are subjected to much more stress than others. After all, everyone's body is different. Therefore, it's important to be aware of these individual "problem areas," especially when preparing for tennis practice or a match. Releasing muscle tension and restoring freedom of movement is the key. Mastering these exercises will improve your tennis game and make you less prone to injury. Today, we're presenting some stretching and mobilization exercises from Australian fitness guru Nathan Martin of TennisFitness that you can incorporate into your training or match preparation. Especially important right now during the league season and intense tournaments! Forget being clumsy; be as supple as a cat!
Nathan Martin's fitness programs 
for quite some time now , which he and his wife developed specifically for us tennis players. For several decades, they have worked with tennis players including Lleyton Hewitt, Martina Navratilova, and others, so they know exactly what we tennis players need, whether we're competitive or recreational.
Nathan Martin says that regular, tennis-specific mobility exercises before practice are crucial to preparing the body for the complex movements required on the tennis court. Mobility exercises in tennis are those that initiate a chain of movements and typically involve multiple joints. Just think about how you wind up for a forehand in an open position, then rotate your torso and swing your arm back. Many joints work together in this movement, and numerous muscles contribute to both movement and stability.
To prepare your body for these complex movements, it's best to isolate them in a controlled manner so we can focus on the specifics of what needs to be done and develop a better connection with the movements. This leads to a better-prepared body and keeps you aware of where your body is, for example, whether it's more tense than usual or whether you feel free during the movement.
The following mobility exercises, specifically for tennis players, are fluid movement exercises where there is no stopping or holding. Remember to try to make these movements free, to let the movement flow. With each repetition of the mobility exercises, you should try to slightly increase the range of motion, for example, by going deeper or rotating more, until you feel you are reaching your maximum limit.
When you do these specific mobility exercises for tennis, it should never hurt or be painful. It might be uncomfortable, which is good because it means you're challenging your range of motion, but we don't want you to experience pain while performing them. To improve your mobility, you need to be consistent. The goal is to do the exercises 3-5 times a week, for example, before warming up.
Figure out which of the mobility exercises Nathan showed you in the video restrict you the most and challenge you the most. These are the exercises you should focus on, not the ones that are easy! The reward for your mobility routine will be an improvement in your tennis game. You'll be able to get into deeper, better positions on the court and won't feel so restricted in your movement. So take care of yourself and your body and work on it—it's definitely worth it!
Want to improve your flexibility? Then we invite you to try one of Nathan's various home fitness programs and become fitter, more flexible, and less prone to injury. We've tried several programs ourselves, and many of the exercises are now part of our fitness routine.
We highly recommend the following fitness programs:
For all players over 40 or "around" who want to improve their mobility, strength, speed and agility.
For all players who want to develop and improve strength, stability, balance and agility specifically for tennis.
For players who want to train at home with limited space and minimal equipment. Convenient, specific, and effective.
Three more important points:
For a complete overview of all online fitness programs
Source: Martin Method Tennis Fitness, www.tennisfitness.com
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