Eva Longoria is heating up the court in her tennis skirt. In a new social media post, the former Desperate Housewives star proves she is the queen of the court – padel court that is – swatting balls with pizazz. “In my greatest hits era 😏🏓 #padeltennis,” she captioned the Instagram video. What exactly is “padel tennis” and is it a good workout? Here is everything you need to know about Eva’s favorite new sport.
According to pro Jorge Rodriguez, Juan Lebron’s padel coach, there are several reasons why padel is a great workout. “One of the many objectives that we seek to achieve through participating in sport is to improve general muscle tone, and playing padel even helps tone the muscles in the face, because you will not stop smiling. It also improves our coordination, mobility and reflexes,” he writes for racquet brand Babolat.
Padel, which is basically a fusion of tennis, badminton, and squash, is also a great workout for the glutes, “and all the muscles we use in the arms, making our posture firmer.”
As a cardiovascular workout, the sport can burn between 700 and 1000 calories, he maintains. And, because it is aerobic, it will help strengthen your heart and improve other aspects of your health.
More benefits? You will be so exhausted, you will sleep like a baby. It is also a great destresser. “A game of padel will alleviate stress after a hard day at work, and that’s the best antidepressant there is. You’ll feel happy and light-hearted as your body secretes dopamine, endorphins and serotonin – the well-known happiness hormones!” he says.
It is also a great sport for all ages. “Scientific research has shown that regular padel practice appears to be recommended to improve physical fitness and promote health, both in adults and children,” a 2022 study examining the benefits of padel concluded.
Padel is a doubles game, which encourages socialization. Padel courts look like a small tennis court, but have glass walls that are actually part of the court. While very similar to tennis, the biggest difference is that the ball has to bounce off the floor before your opponent is able to hit it – and you can also hit the ball off the walls of the court.