Aerobics, With Nets

The most exercise I ever got playing tennis was taxing my gluteus and hamstrings by picking up the balls strewn about. So I went up to the Forest Crest Athletic Club in Mountlake Terrace one Sunday morning to watch Cardio Tennis, an aerobics-with-rackets program nudging its way across the nation and in some local clubs.

Christine Samuel, an energetic tennis pro and class instructor, cranked the boom box, sending 120-beats-per-minute dance music pounding across an end court. Then, she led five students through drills designed to get their heart rates to aerobic zones and keep their minds too busy to realize all the work they were doing.

"That's it! Take out all that pent-up frustration," she shouted over the music while two students at a time charged the net, taking whacks at the balls she lobbed in their direction. "Get way in before you hit. That's it. Boom!"

Only two of the five players seemed a bit accomplished at the sport, but style and whether the shot was errant or not were beside the point. They focused on keeping their feet moving and their heart rates high. Each was required to wear a heart-rate monitor and keep in the "cardio tennis zone," which was 65 to 85 percent of their maximum rate. Each player always had a racket in hand, and all were instructed and encouraged to think form, but Samuel was primarily concerned about keeping it fun and burning calories. One student burned 1,008 calories in a workout, so Samuel posted his name and score up on the lobby's bulletin board.

Cardio Tennis was launched by the Tennis Industry Association as a step toward revitalizing interest in the sport. Samuel runs three classes a week. According to www.Cardiotennis.com, the program is also offered at the Renton Athletic Club as well as other locations across the state.

Let the Senior Games begin

The 2006 Greater Seattle Senior Games, featuring competition in a number of athletic activities, will be June 1 through 4 at various locations. Deadline for entries is May 19. Exceptions include track and field, bowling, and golf, which offer on-site and day registration.

The purpose is to promote healthier lifestyles among people 50 years and older. Participants compete in age divisions 50-54, 55-59 and so on. More information is available at www.greaterseattleseniorgames.org/Events. Tim Pretare, who directs senior adult programs for the city of Seattle, can also provide information at 206-684-4240.

The Washington State Senior Games will be in Olympia July 28-30 (www.pugetsoundgames.com). Winners there can qualify for the 2007 National Senior Olympics.

Sandwiched between a short warm-up and cool-down was about 40 minutes of near constant movement. Samuel had laid rope ladders on each side of the court so participants could move through the spaces and keep their heart rates up as they went to the back of the short line. Several stopped doing that; they were getting enough of a workout already. A certified tennis professional, Samuel ended the workout by incorporating a medicine ball to mimic tennis strokes and some stability balls for core work.

Players of various abilities can participate in the same class. There is no competition, though sometimes, Samuel will use drills that involve keeping score if the participants are of similar skills. She wants players to get better while they get fit.

The five people in Samuel's morning class all had different target-heart-rate zones, but similar skill levels and a consensus on why they were doing it: It beats the drudgery of jogging or workout machines. The better your tennis skill, however, the better the workout will be. A big guy, taking the class for the first time and apparently not working that hard, burned 916 calories. A woman stayed in her cardio zone for 42 minutes and burned 685 calories. In a moderately played game of tennis, a 150-pound person will typically burn less than 500 calories and a 175-pound player will burn less than 600.

A class like Cardio Tennis doesn't just burn calories, though; it also challenges muscles and ligaments. Along the way, it's bound to improve your hand-eye coordination, too.

Samuel offers two early-morning classes and one evening class during the week. The first class for anyone 16 and older is free. Go to www.forestcrest.com or call 425-774-0014 for more information.

Richard Seven is a Pacific Northwest magazine staff writer. He can be reached at rseven@seattletimes.com. John Lok is a Seattle Times staff photographer.