Tennis Cool Down Routine

Why Cool Down? 

Cooling down exercises for tennis lower the heart rate and bring the body back to homeostasis, reduces muscle soreness and tightness, removes waste products from working muscles, and helps prevent blood pooling. 

2 -Phases: Tennis Cool Down Exercises

This cool down should take between 20 and 30 minutes, depending on the intensity and duration of your tennis training or tennis match. 
1. Cardio – Jog, bike, or swim for 10 minutes.
2. Stretching – benefits such as: 
• Helps lengthen muscles back to the original length.
• Helps joint mobility and healthy functional joint range. 
• Releases muscle tension, which can help take the pressure off or away from joint/s.
3. Foam roller

1. Lower Back

• Lying on your back, bring the leg across the other and rotate the lower body bringing the crossed over knee towards the floor and hold into the stretch.
• Keep both shoulder blades in contact with the floor.
• Hold for 30–45 seconds, and repeat on the other side.

2. Side Bend

• Start in a standing position, place both feet together.
• Raise both arms fully extended above the head.
• Clasp the hands if flexibility will allow.
• Side bend to one side, being careful not to allow any twisting (transverse) movement to occur in the hips or spine.
• Hold this position for 30–45 seconds each side

3. Gluteal

• Begin in a runner’s lunge position with both hands on the floor on both sides of the front foot.
• Keep the right leg straight, the shin of the left leg should be facing forward.
• Gently allow the hips to come to the floor without allowing any twisting (transverse) movement in the hips.
• Keep the torso as erect as possible.
• Hold this position for 30–45 seconds on each side.

4. Chest

• Stand against an object and form a 90º angle with your arms as depicted.
• Slowly rotate your trunk forward around the stationary arm until a slight stretch is felt in the anterior (front) shoulder region.
• Hold for 30–45 seconds each side.

5. Hip Flexor

• Begin with one leg in a kneeling position and the other leg bent at a 90° angle.
• Draw the belly button inward.
• Tighten the glutes and perform a posterior pelvic tilt (tucking bottom under).
• Avoid arching the lower back.
• Hold for 30–45 seconds, repeat for 2–3 repetitions each side.

6. Calf

• Stand in a staggered-stance near a step.
• Bring one leg forward for support; use your upper body to lean against the wall.
• Keep foot pointed straight ahead.

After cool down exercises for tennis, muscles can shorten and feel restricted. Start to be aware of your body, know what muscles feel tight, and what side of the body feels tighter. You may have to perform extra stretches on your dominant or tighter side. Then only stretch those tight muscles. If we don’t become aware of our body we tend to weaken our kinetic chain as we stretch already lengthened muscles. Here are some examples of stretches you can perform after a tennis match or tennis training. These will help aid in your recovery for the following day. 

For more tennis warm-up, tennis stretches, and tennis mobility programs go here