30 May 2011 | Tennis ACT

By Edwin Smith

Australia’s newest fitness craze is here, and Cardio Tennis is showing no signs of slowing down. Cardio Tennis has made its way into Canberra, promising to warm up the chilliest of Canberra nights.

The program is a globally recognised brand, with 3,500 cardio tennis venues in the USA alone. Over 1.5 million people worldwide participated in Cardio Tennis last year, and there has been an 81% growth in the program over the last two years.

Touted as the new Zumba, the program combines the best features of tennis, with an intense cardio-vascular workout, and delivers the ultimate full body calorie burning aerobic workout. 

No existing tennis knowledge is needed for Cardio Tennis; the primary focus is on receiving a great workout and fighting obesity.

Belinda Colaneri, Cardio Tennis Head Coach, says that a 1 hour session of cardio tennis is the equivalent of doing a 1 hour session on a treadmill. “It’s a great cardio workout for a beginner to advanced player. It’s the fun, fast way to get fit, and it’s even a good workout for the coach.”

She believes the program can cater to specific groups such as young families, groups of friends and businessmen.
“It’s a fantastic program for corporate groups and young Mums who have little time in their day for exercise.”

The program runs for 45-60 minutes, and uses heart rate monitors to keep track of how hard individuals are working. Participants are encouraged to work within 65-85% of their maximum heart rate, which ensures maximum calories are burnt. In a standard session, around 900 calories are burnt.

Travis Atkinson, Cardio leader, has been travelling around Australia to spread the word of Cardio Tennis.
“It’s been amazing to watch the motivation of coaches driven by the heart rate monitor, and their desire to go through the fitness experience. This is exactly the same feeling thousands of people around Australia will feel.”

The first Canberra Cardio Tennis centre in Kaleen has been making waves in the local fitness industry for the last term, and many more Canberra centres will be adapting the program by the start of July.