My partner - and his entire family - love Tennis. They're actually tennis fanatics. His sister coaches and teaches, his other sisters just love to play, and so does he. I ... like to watch. Actually I have no idea how to play beyond running around a court hitting at a very fast and very small ball with a racket. We have two tennis court complexes on the island where we live - including one right outside our building's front door (not a bad view from the gym which overlooks it, by the way). About once a week my partner pipes up that he'd like to play again someday, and I would like to play with him.
I've simply never learned to play tennis. I know that it's extraordinarily physical even while not being the same type of exertion as football, basketball or baseball. Part of me wonders if I could even keep up or if I'd simply wimp out after 10 minutes. And since I'm new, and I suck, there's always the spectre of making a fool of myself on the courts as I learn - and fat fools always look most foolish. So as a goal for losing weight, I want to learn to play - and really take up as an activity - tennis!
The thing about losing weight and becoming more active is that as you start to get into it - even a little - you get a natural craving for more and new activities. So as I lose weight and see my fitness levels increase, I expect I can begin to learn to play this intriguing sport in the near future. And when I do, it will surely be a great way to continue my fitness routine with an alternate activity - and it will make my partner happy to play again.
Updated March 21, 2008
