How Are You Guys Holding Up?

[new_tennis_player]

I've been going back to my old passion: cycling.

Even after long two plus hour rides, there are no lingering effects with my joints.

I wish I could say the same for tennis.

I can tell that tennis taxes your joints in a way that cycling never can (non weight bearing exercise).

And I take precautions such as icing, weight training and taking supplements. Still, I can feel the after effects from tennis. Plus, I focus on doubles rather than singles tennis.

At what point do you say, I have to cut back, or I actually have to pick up a new sport altogether?

Or, do you accept joint deterioration over time as the price you pay?

Talk to me.

 

[Cindysphinx]

I accept joint deterioration.

I know people love cycling, but I'm having none of it. This area is very congested, and you are often right out there in traffic with cell-phone gabbing motorists whizzing by. Every cyclist I know has had a crash at some point, and some have been injured due to crashes with other cyclists, cars, or just losing control.

Tennis is rough on the body, but I am still all in one piece.

 

[brad1730]

Cycling is huge here in Colorado Springs, but even with my tennis elbow I'd rather play tennis. I enjoy the competition, the strategy, and developing technique.

And cycling isn't without it's problems. We have a couple of deaths each year. Last year an old lady plowed into 2 well known cyclists. I was at the pool last week, and I was talking with a guy that totally dislocated his thumb (and tore a bunch of tendons) from a mountain bike fall. Everything has it's own risks.

 

[chollyred]

I practically lived on the courts when I was in my late teens/early twenties. Then I tore up both knees and ankles and quit playing for many years. When I started playing again, I knew mobility was going to be a problem and that it would be painful. I'm okay while I'm playing, but it takes it's toll for a couple of days afterward. Vitamin I (ibuprofen) and stretching are my friends. I no longer have the mobility for singles, but play doubles and mixed a couple of times a week.

But, tennis has always been my passion. If it's not yours, and cycling is, then maybe you should stick with your first love.

Last year I fell off a skateboard and broke my elbow (at 51 years old). I've caught a lot of guff about someone my age riding, even though I've done it most of my life. I asked a doctor friend "When are you too old to participate?" He replied "When it takes too long to recover!"

 

[jrod]

I totally agree with Cindy. Cycling isn't what it used to be, at least for me. In the old days I could ride 50 miles without seeing another cyclist. Not true today. They are everywhere, all prissied up in their LanceSpandex looking like neon-coated fools. And most of them have adopted an attitude where they feel they own the road and that all other vehicles must yield to their will. I assume most never took a HS physics or the sport has impacted their intellectual capacity to assess the risks associated with hogging the road whilst soccer moms, high school kids and landscaping contractors whiz by blathering away on their cell phones or texting on their smartphones.

I'll take tennis every day of the week over cycling.

 

[LeeD]

I also used to bike Mt.Tam or go for 2 hour roadrides. Easier on the joints, yes. But possible car meetings have increased thru the years, and catastrophic for the bike rider.
I windsurf because I don't get lofted on landings like kitesurfers.
I choose to quit motocross and roadracing because the crashes are just too high a penalty.
I figure I can glide more on the tennis courts, run lighter, and be smoother in starts and stops. But all my old buds are injured, so I end up hitting with younger, in much better shape, guys. Too bad for me.

 

[BMC9670]

I'm in an optimistic place right now with this. I had shoulder surgery in December and I'm approaching full recovery. The layoff gave me time to rest and work some low-impact cardio so my feet, knees, hips, and back are feeling great. Add to this the weather is nice and our club has two great Har-Tru courts, and I'm looking forward to summer. I bike some on my non-tennis days for fitness and love it - hoping to do more. I also bike to the courts for a good warm-up.

 

[Gemini]

I totally agree with Cindy. Cycling isn't what it used to be, at least for me. In the old days I could ride 50 miles without seeing another cyclist. Not true today. They are everywhere, all prissied up in their LanceSpandex looking like neon-coated fools. And most of them have adopted an attitude where they feel they own the road and that all other vehicles must yield to their will. I assume most never took a HS physics or the sport has impacted their intellectual capacity to assess the risks associated with hogging the road whilst soccer moms, high school kids and landscaping contractors whiz by blathering away on their cell phones or texting on their smartphones.

I'll take tennis every day of the week over cycling.

Agreed. I grew up in areas of Louisiana where there was little to no traffic for miles and miles for several hours a day. And talking about roads/highways. It was easy enough to ride without the threat of being run over. Here in the metro Atlanta area, there are no roads/highways that really accommodate riding. Not to mention what you've said about most cyclist adopting an attitude that they own the road. You will often see cyclists riding more than two abreast which is against the law here.

Still, I've meniscus tears in both knees and I've really begun limiting the length of my play. Two hours max on any given day. And if I hit for the full two hours on one day and plan to hit the next day, I'll limit it to to one to 1.25 hours on that second day. After two days in a row, I need a day off before I'll hit again.

 

[kslick]

That's hard, its about taking care of yourself and adjusting your time wisely. I played tennis all through my youth and at the age of 17 I stopped playing because I jacked up my shoulder and couldn't deal with pain anymore. I was playing Jrs. and it was cut throat and I was tossed aside. (left a bad taste in my mouth) I moved to Colorado and got into cycling. competed and had a good time but man did I spend a lot of time on the bike, everything was so strict, dieting resting, training it took away from other things. As I got older and started a family cycling got to be too much, it took a lot of time away from the fam. Also screaming down the side of the mountain at 65 mph didn't seem like the right thing anymore. I had always missed tennis and a year and a half ago I got back into it. Since I've been back I've had golfers elbow, torn calf muscle and I can feel it in my body. But I've learned to take better care of myself. Eating, stretching, weight lifting for injury prevention and knowing when to cut back when my body needs it. But I've loved being back in the sport and I love the fact this is something I can share with my family.

Sorry for the long winded story. But what I guess I'm trying to say is you have to find the balance. I still bike but no where like I use to and it gives me a chance to do some low impact cardio.

Good luck

 

[chollyred]

Agreed. I grew up in areas of Louisiana where there was little to no traffic for miles and miles for several hours a day. And talking about roads/highways. It was easy enough to ride without the threat of being run over. Here in the metro Atlanta area, there are no roads/highways that really accommodate riding. Not to mention what you've said about most cyclist adopting an attitude that they own the road. You will often see cyclists riding more than two abreast which is against the law here.

Still, I've meniscus tears in both knees and I've really begun limiting the length of my play. Two hours max on any given day. And if I hit for the full two hours on one day and plan to hit the next day, I'll limit it to to one to 1.25 hours on that second day. After two days in a row, I need a day off before I'll hit again.

Agree! I'm out close to the Horse Park. On the weekends, it looks like the cyclists are training for the Tour De Conyers or something. We often run across groups of 10 - 20 on narrow two lane roads or on major state highways. There have been several accidents where a motorist will take on a tree rather than run over a soft, squishy cyclist (j/k).

I tried cycling, but never could get into it.

 

[In D Zone]

Tennis is much easier compared to Basketball. I'd get bumps,bruises and sprains easily especially against bigger, younger and tall players. Sure you do get aches and soreness from tennis - but after a good rest and stretches you can bounce back quicker than injuries suffered from the bball.
I 'd say working out regularly at the gym definitely helps keep the body in shape, faster recovery time and endurance to maintain 3 to 4 times a week tennis matches (singles and doubles).

 

[Gemini]

Tennis is much easier compared to Basketball. I'd get bumps,bruises and sprains easily especially against bigger, younger and tall players. Sure you do get aches and soreness from tennis - but after a good rest and stretches you can bounce back quicker than injuries suffered from the bball.
I 'd say working out regularly at the gym definitely helps keep the body in shape, faster recovery time and endurance to maintain 3 to 4 times a week tennis matches (singles and doubles).

Comparing tennis and basketball is not quite an apples-to-apples analogy though. Basketball is a contact sport. In any contact sport, there're going to be injuries due to direct interaction with other players. As a matter of fact, the majority of injuries I've had from playing basketball have been due to "mixiing it up" with a another player. So yes..if you compare the two, tennis is easier.