If someone told you that participating in one activity for an hour three or more times per week could help you lose weight, build strength and endurance, stimulate your mind and enhance your social network, all while extending your life expectancy and quality of life, you would likely respond, “Too good to be true.”

As we all know, to lose weight we need to burn more calories than we consume. Tennis provides a great head start: A 135-pound female will burn approximately 330 and 420 calories during an hour of doubles and singles tennis, respectively. A 200-pound male playing tennis for the same time will burn up to 425 and 600 calories.

You can easily burn more calories in one hour of tennis than in three hours of light weightlifting or golf. However, supplementing tennis with an additional three to four hours of training per week will optimize your fat burning potential and heart health.

Weight loss through regular exercise and proper diet essentially eliminates the cardiovascular risk associated with Metabolic Syndrome (practically an epidemic associated with a sedentary lifestyle and obesity) as well as potentially cures high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes in most people.

Tennis holds great potential for improving heart health because it requires frequent starts and stops and short sprints, and these movements build muscle strength. The lateral and rotary motions necessary to properly execute tennis strokes, as well as required balance while in motion, engages large core muscle groups that are required in day-to-day activities.

Tennis’ cardiovascular benefits can indirectly extend life span. Maintaining a heart rate in excess of 70 percent of your anticipated maximum heart rate with intermittent periods approaching 100 percent has been shown to increase longevity of life. Playing tennis three or more times per week for an hour or more will reduce the likelihood of a fatal or debilitating heart attack and/or stroke. The benefits of this type of exercise are in addition to the reductions in risk factors for coronary artery disease.

It is important to remember that humans lose approximately 0.75 percent to 1 percent of muscle mass each year after 40 years of age, without appropriate training. This muscle loss often contributes to frequent falls, broken bones, chronic back pain and injuries, as well as poor balance and posture. A regular tennis match a few times per week can improve overall health and prevent multiple conditions often associated with aging.

However, tennis is more than a physical effort—it offers significant mental stimulation. Players must think two or three strokes in advance, and be prepared to make strategy changes throughout a match. Tennis holds significant benefits over other mental stimulation activities like sudoko or crossword puzzles, which are completely sedentary. As an added bonus, since tennis requires at least one additional player and often multiple players during a drill or tournament, players’ social network expands as their waistlines shrink.

Schedule a tennis lesson or match today, but if you have not had a cardiac evaluation in the past 12 months, consider seeing a cardiologist prior to engaging in any type of physical activity.

Considering tennis’ learning curve, it’s important to remember that not everyone will be able to immediately derive all of the benefits discussed above. However, through lessons and practice, and as ability advances, players will reap the benefits to their heart health and weight, mental stimulation, social engagement and more.

Stanley M. Duchman, MD, MS Exercise Physiology, and Ville Jansson, General Manager of the Galleria Tennis & Athletic Club (www.thegtac.com) The Galleria Tennis & Athletic Club, located atop of the Houston Galleria, strategically engineered its courts to provide the best possible tennis experience.