USTA serves up recreation for the heart.

For the millions of overweight and unfit Americans who regularly start workout programs and lose interest after a few weeks, tennis can be just what the personal trainer ordered.

Whether the goal is developing a fitness regimen for your child; lowering your blood pressure; or ensuring a healthy heart, tennis is an affordable, accessible, invigorating sport which revs the body and mind. The Cleveland Clinic Heart Center, rated in a survey by U.S. News & World Report as the No. 1 heart care facility in the nation, states that playing a sport like tennis can reduce the risk of heart disease, the No. 1 killing disease among men and women. Further, they assert that playing tennis on a regular basis can offer a number of health benefits such as increased burning of calories, reduction of blood pressure and stress, and improved balance, mobility, agility and strength.

Research shows that three hours of moderate aerobic exercise every week can cut the risk of developing heart disease by 50 percent. A 135-pound woman playing an hour of tennis can burn 330 calories during doubles and 420 calories during singles, said Cleveland Clinic Heart Center exercise physiologist and avid tennis player Gordon Blackburn, Ph.D.

An average-sized man playing an hour of tennis can burn about 425 calories during doubles and 600 calories during singles. In fact, said Blackburn, you'll burn more calories playing three hours of tennis per week than you will doing three hours of light weightlifting, bowling or golfing.

The Homewood-Flossmoor Racquet and Fitness Club, a vital part of the Homewood-Flossmoor Park District in Illinois, has managed to combine tennis and fitness in a new way. Their cardio tennis program puts participants to the test through a series of fast paced drills, while monitoring their heart rate and burned calories with a polar heart monitor. Beginners to advanced players have raised their fitness levels and their game through the program.

Sylvia Gothard, racquet sports manager at the club, believes any fitness activity must be fun and enjoyable for people to stick with it. "The USTA uses the words fun, friends, family and fitness," she said. "Fitness means hard work to a lot of people. Whatever you do it has to be fun. Tennis certainly fits the bill."

With childhood obesity growing at an alarming rate, tennis is an ideal sport for youngsters. Not only does it offer a tremendous cardio workout, it teaches self discipline, respect, sportsmanship and causes fewer injuries than most other youth sports. The Homewood-Flossmoor Racquet and Fitness Club runs a USTA Competition Training Center for junior tennis players, 10 to 14 years old, incorporating nutritional training and fitness activities where the results are compared to national averages. "These activities are geared toward helping the junior athlete understand the importance of fitness on and off the court" said Gothard.

Known as the sport of a lifetime, people of all genders, ages and generations can, and do participate. Contrary to popular opinion, tennis is not a sport played and enjoyed only by the young. In fact, 11.4 million adults ages 25 and up played tennis at least once last year. Just ask Dave Carey, of Asheville, N.C., who at age 93 travels the world as one of the best players in his age group. He did not start playing seriously until he retired at age 65 and he has no plans of slowing down.

Tennis may be the perfect sport for the body and the mind, offering a terrific workout, social outlet and pleasurable diversion from life's worries. You'll tap into your quickness and agility to get to the ball, strength to get power into your shots, stamina to be able to play for a couple of sets and mental toughness to stay one step ahead of your opponent.