Try Racquetball

Tired of the same gym routine? Do you hate lifting weights? Do you get bored just by thinking of going to the gym but still wants to get in shape? Are you looking for an additional cardio activity that is not a machine? If you answered yes for all these questions, well you are not alone and there are millions of people just like you. The good news is that your solution might be simpler than you think, mostly if you live in south Florida. For about only $ 35 a month you can get a membership at a gym called LA Fitness. The gym is actually pretty good for the price and gives you a lot of different options, however the best part of it is the fact that the gym has racquetball courts. You might be thinking well a game that you hit a ball against the wall, does not seem very appealing to me. You actually have a point, however, just like anything else in life, you should never judge a book by its cover. In sports it is exactly the same way. Racquetball was actually invented with the purpose of making it fun and playable for all levels of athletic ability. Therefore it does not look very appealing from the outside however from inside the court, the players learn to enjoy and appreciate the greatness of the game. The equipment is cheap and you can get started for around $ 30 to $ 40 dollars. My first racquet was actually $ 12 dollars and the can of balls cost me $ 2 dollars. So go to your local walmart store grab a racquet and go to the gym. Put your IPOD on, find an empty court and start hitting some balls just for fun. Even if you never played a racquet sport before and have a hard time hitting the ball, you still have to chase the ball around and bend over to get it. Just make sure you bend over the right way without bending your back. Try to squatting when you go down to grab the ball. That is already a lot less boring than sitting on the treadmill for 30 minutes. And we are talking about your very first time trying. Eventually you will get used to the swing and will start hitting more balls with less misses. Now imagine the same exercise after already a few tries and with an opponent to retrieve your shots? So you will have to chase the ball a lot faster and will have to start developing some sort of strategy so your opponent has a harder time returning your shots and so forth. Well by now you are able to see where I am trying to go with this post. Just give it a shot and I guarantee that you won’t be disappointed. You will have fun, make new friends, burn calories and will start feeling better about exercising. Even if you decide to quit 6 months later, you will realize that your time spent on the gym did not go to waste because I guarantee you that 6 months of racquetball will make you lose weight no matter if you are a beginner, intermediate or advanced level player. So next time you are at the gym and see those guys hitting the crap out of the ball and running like crazy, don’t be afraid to ask for help with your game or to get you started. Most of the racquetball players really like the game and do not mind helping others that are willing to try or improve.
Just one more thing. If you are going to play with a friend make sure not to take the shot if he happens to be in front of you or very close or vice versa. Don’t worry about losing the rally since you are just going to replay the point. If you see a regular player close to you ask him to explain the rules about hinders. Make sure you are wearing racquetball glasses for your protection before you play.
In addition and to close the argument, play at your pace. Have fun out there and enjoy yourself. If you live in the south Florida, already has a La Fitness or any other gym racquetball membership, and you liked what you saw on this article, talk to the racquetball director of your club and take some lessons. The lessons will expedite your learning curve and would get you to enjoy the game even more.
“Live Longer Playing Racquetball”