It’s time for another Fixation Friday! On the last Friday of each month, I list all kinds of things that I got obsessed with or fixated on during the month. In May, I was (and still am) completely occupied with the French Open, as well as several other tennis-related things. Below is my list of links that preoccupied me this month. If you see something you’re interested in, just click on the title to be whisked over to the website, video, post, etc. So get fixated with me with my Fixation Friday list for May 2013!
TENNIS STUFF
www.RolandGarros.com – Well, we’re right in the middle of the French Open, or “Roland Garros” as I like to call it (see this post for explanation – Top 7 Things You Should Know About The French Open). So I am spending A LOT of time on the official French Open web site, trying to keep up with what’s going on. And, when I’m out and about, I know I can always check in with the official French Open app (see all of the options – iPad, iPhone, Android – by clicking HERE to go to the Roland Garros multimedia/mobile web page).
US Tennis Congress Facebook Page – I’m attending the US Tennis Congress in Atlanta in October and could not be more excited (Yay!). Besides the incredible faculty of teaching pros that will be there, I’m really looking forward to meeting up with other tennis fanatics like myself who think a weekend of intense tennis instruction is heaven. If you’re interested in the US Tennis Congress or just want some great tennis inspiration, check out and “Like” their Facebook page (by clicking on the title above). You’ll see inspiring videos from top tennis players and even some wonderful stuff from regular players like you and me!
Strength & Conditioning: Dynamic Warm-up and Flexibility Training – The USTA’s website has tons of great information. In light of the pretty overwhelming evidence that static stretching is bad for you (see below), here’s a tennis-specific article concluding that we all need to be doing pre-match dynamic stretching and save that static stretching for after we play. For us tennis types, that means a warm-up that mimics the runs, jumps, starts and stops of tennis. More on that in a future post!
NON-TENNIS STUFF
The World’s Worst Warm-up: Why Static Stretching Leaves Us Weak – If the USTA’s word isn’t enough for you, here’s a fitness article that is even harsher in its criticism of pre-workout static stretching. Okay! You got me! I’m now committing to pre-match dynamic stretching!
How To Go BPA-Free – “Worried your water bottle is killing you? You’re not alone.” Those are the attention-grabbing opening lines to this informative article about the dangers of plastics and BPA and how you can avoid the stuff. Since hydration is such an important part of successful tennis, the tips for making sure your on-court water supply is BPA-free are spot on.
Can Caffeine Boost Exercise Endurance? – In the never ending quest to find all things positive re coffee drinking, here’s an article that says that caffeine intake can boost exercise endurance and reduce feelings of pain and exhaustion if taken prior to physical activity. Just another reason for me to keep drinking coffee on the way to my next tennis match!
