The shape of things

Don't know if you're a fan of tennis or not - but I've been watching the primetime U.S. Open matches the past few nights. I love watching pros play because their games are so fast and so calculated! When I play tennis and hit the ball I just hope it goes over the net and into the lines - definitely haven't gotten to the point where I'm strategic with my shots (want to get there though).

Tennis is a great workout and a fun sport to play after you're out of school. It only takes two people to play and you can always go to a practice wall and hit by yourself. A lot of people "play" (I put it in quotes, because people say that they play and really haven't since high school) but regardless it's not difficult finding a partner.

The sport is relatively cheap too. You need a racket (you can find an entry level one for $30-50) and you need tennis balls and that's it. If you get more competitive you might want to invest in real tennis shoes, but for just getting started any sneakers will work.

Besides being a great cardio workout, it's also a great upper body and core workout. If you play a match you'll feel sore in your abs, obliques and all over your arms, back and shoulders the next day!

Still aren't convinced to try? Well, you can wear some really cute outfits when you play! Tennis skirts, dresses, tanks, shorts, visors, hats, etc. So much fun. I have a great collection of sassy skirts and cute tank tops and they are all so functional.

Center court has turned into a fashion runway lately. Maria Sharapova (pronounced "sha - raw - pah - vah" not like "share - a - poh - vuh" this according to my Russian-speaking husband) and Serena Williams have such great contracts with Nike that they get new dresses designed for each grand slam (Maria has three for the U.S. open, a white "day" dress, a black "night" dress, and her special sassy "center court" red dress.)

I saw the press conference when Sharapova "unveiled" her dress and thought it might be a bit over the top. Then I saw her in this picture and I thought - man, she's got it going on in that red dress!

(Courtesy AP)

If I've convinced you to try tennis I've got two suggestions:

1. Tune in to USA network tonight and the next few nights and watch the prime time tennis matches.
   
   
2. Go to google and find out if there are some beginners lessons you can take in your area. Sign up and learn. It's the best way to really learn tennis because you get the basics from someone who knows what they are doing and you'll gain confidence to play. (Check your local YMCA or university, they may offer lessons)

So I love buying new workout clothes. It pumps me up to actually wear them when I workout - which in turn makes me workout more. It's also a great way to reward yourself (for finishing a race, or working out 5 times a week, etc.) much better than some kind of food reward (which is a very bad habit, if you're in that now).

I decided I'd share a few of my favorite workout items here. You'll see that the majority of the items are tennis related, that's because I love tennis fashion and I love playing tennis. I also added a few running/standard workout items. Let me know what you think, and if you have some favorites, share them in the comments. (Be sure to add a link to buy!) :)