We all know badminton to be a physically demanding sport. In order to be considered fit to play, one should achieve and maintain a certain level of fitness - to avoid injuries and excel in the game. In this thread, let's share how we prepare our bodies for the rigors of badminton. In my case, I do spinning to build my stamina and do resistance training to strengthen my muscles, especially my leg muscles. I used to run, but the pounding is bad for the knees, so I decided to shift to spinning since it has less impact on the joints. When I started with this program, I noticed that my footwork became quicker and my endurance improved. Now, i can get to the shuttle earlier and execute techniques more effectively without getting winded. One thing though, I also had to start drinking more milk and boost my vitamin intake to make up for the strenuous exercises I'm doing. There are lots of other ways to improve fitness. Is there anyone there who tried crosstraining with other sports (martial arts, swimming, soccer, etc.)? Yoga? Pilates? Please share your experience.
Spinning is a form of "exercise" where a group of people, mostly women, sit around indoors on stationary bicycles, spinning their legs around and around without going anywhere (hence the name). They are usually cheered on by a cheerleader known as the "instructor" who encourages them to pedal harder. Yeah, I don't get it either.
leaving aside the obvious benefits of being surrounded by women, spinning is pretty tough. A friend of mine did a class--seeing all these women sitting on bikes--50 mins later he came out completely red in the face, sweating like a dog and promptly vomited everywhere. It was pretty funny. Well, I thought it was funny.
It's tough .... actually very tough. In fact, spinning classes here are led by either professional cyclists or triathletes. I'd say that the ratio of men and women is about 50-50. Check this out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indoor_cycling I prefer this over actual cycling outdoors to avoid serious accidents and the city's pollution.
Sure, but you can make any activity tough if you set the perform it intensively enough or for sufficient time. Anyone can coach another person to puke, but that doesn't mean the activity is necessarily useful.
I share your contempt for the "push them until they bleed from their ears, and then they'll feel they have a good coach" method. Nevertheless, let's not be contemptuous of the exercise itself. Cycling is a perfectly good way to improve aerobic fitness and leg strength (good for the VMO's in particular). It is a good component of a badminton fitness programme.
I used to do lots of butterfly swim in the good old younger days. Its definitely increase your smashing power from upper body.
