adminInnocent Choga : Fitness
Ball games tend to be very popular in comparison to all other non-ball games. Tennis is no exception it is a very popular game with not so many participants as soccer but with so many spectators and followers. Unlike soccer where we can get fit playing social soccer without restrictions, tennis has participation restrictions .These come about as a result of its expensive nature.Apart from that, tennis is a very demanding activity in terms of fitness and it is a very intense game that we can participate in for fitness. For those who already play tennis they can improve their game by increasing their fitness levels through exercise in the gym.
The fitness components mostly required in tennis is upper body strength; this is needed to discharge the shots. Power is needed for explosive moves. Cardiovascular endurance is needed to be able move around the court with ease and this can be attained through aerobic classes. Particular muscles that require conditioning include external obliques and other trunk twisting muscles like the serratus, that allow us to discharge all types of shots.
The lower back is used extensively when serving and hitting overhead shots. The forearms are used throughout the game especially when volleying. Wrists play an important role throughout therefore wrist exercises are most important. Leg work is very important and cannot be ignored; just as in badminton you have to move swiftly around the court.
Since tennis involves all muscles it is important to have balanced workouts .Imbalances in muscle strength may result in injuries to unconditioned muscles.
This week I managed to catch up with an old friend Shepherd Manyumbu at Alexander Sports Club. Shephered Mayumbu who celebrated his 50th birthday this week is a tennis coach at the Harare International School.
Manyumbu was the first black Zimbabwean to attain the ITF(International Tennis Federation) refereeing qualification in 1990 and he has officiated at many international matches.
At the moment he is an examiner and the chairperson of the Tennis Coaches Association in Zimbabwe.
Manyumbu’s passion for tennis emerged at high school. He started playing tennis at Mufakose High School and later on at Ellis Robins Boys High School. Although he participated in a number of local tournaments he feels he began playing tennis late to play professionally and he had to be content with being a coach. He said: “Starting to play tennis at the age of 16 or 18 is a disadvantage .Great tennis players start well in their youth stages at around the ages of 6 to 8 years and by the time they turn 14 they will be playing good games”.
But Manyumbu feels playing and coaching tennis has not only kept him fit but has helped him maintain discipline. He still exercises though not as much as he used to.
Manyumbu said tennis is good for both physical and mental fitness and it works all the muscles in the body and it therefore involves all the fitness components. He said most of all, tennis instils discipline in children.
When I pressed him on how different it could be from other sports in that aspect, he said: “Tennis equipment is very expensive, for example if you buy or lend a child a tennis racquet, discipline will start from the child’s need to look after that implement well, knowing how expensive it is and the high cost of replacement or repair will force them to look after it well. Also the kind of characters that one has to mix with is different.’
He said it is necessary to group the children appropriately according to age, ability and fitness. It is also necessary to advise them to use the correct equipment; different balls for different ages and the right weighted racquet. Giving a heavier racket to young children or unfit individuals can even result in injuries like muscle tears. The court is also demarcated with regards to age and fitness levels.
Shepherd is married to Martha and they have two sons Panashe 20 and Munashe 13 who also plays tennis although his school schedules prohibit him from playing as much as he would like to.
Manyumbu bemoaned the fact that the cost of tennis equipment puts the game beyond the reach of the ordinary person, the racquet alone is very expensive and the balls are not so cheap either and they are have to be discarded after playing a number of games or sets depending on the level of the games.
Manyumbu also said if possible it would be ideal to find sponsors who can assist in building tennis infrastructure in the high density areas like what Mr Albert Nhamoyebonde did in Mufakose. He said adults could use these facilities for fitness through playing tennis and the young people could start etching tennis careers using such facilities.
Interestingly Shepherd Manyumbu’s older brother Patrick happened to be my best friend at school. Patrick and I had a serious passion for exercise and sports such that at times we used to run from school in Lochinvar to Mufakose where we stayed. It was not that we had no money for bus fare, but we were seriously addicted to exercise and sport. This only stopped after my parents threatened to withdraw my allowances since I was capable of running to and from school. I think they did that as a safety measure and for the fact that I was compromising on my school grades.
We then devised a new routine where we would then get into town and had running sessions at the Harare Kopje, which was a popular place to run in those days. We were crazy enough to hide our books in the area. This also stopped when our school bags containing most of our books were stolen. On Saturday mornings we would run from Mufakose to Southerton with two other friends Owen Katayi and Dunmore Kapito .
My mother decided that I should join the gym to cure this passion. Patrick and Dunmore also joined the gym. When we left high school Dunmore and Patrick got rid of the addiction and Patrick pursued a banking career. As for me the addiction continued, but I am glad to say I am finally in control.
Food Factor — Peanuts
I have always wanted to discuss about one of my favourite foods which I think is ranked lower than its real value. I do not know why peanuts are associated with things of low value when in actual fact they are very nutritious and valuable in our diets. I suppose this could relate to a low purchase price or great abundance of peanuts, but when it comes to nutritional value peanuts pack a strong punch.
They are full of proteins, vitamins, minerals and they also aid the digestion process .They are legumes that share nutritional properties of both legumes and nuts.
Innocent Choga is a six-time National Bodybuilding Champion with international experience. He is studying for a science degree in Physical Education and Sport.
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