Meet Hilde…
Hilde Lindeque says that tennis is the ultimate mix of fun and action.
As a physiotherapist, Hilde is passionate about the human form and what it needs to keep working optimally. Her work as a physio brought her into contact with many people who needed her help to ease pain or rehabilitate after suffering a sporting injury. When a member told Hilde that he had joined BODYTEC, and was using EMS training to build his strength to help heal his sports injury, she was intrigued. A trial session confirmed it was a form of training she could back with her scientific knowledge. “I was blown away by how professional, quick and extremely effective EMS training is. I loved the sleek look of the studio and the fun atmosphere,” recalls Hilde.
Hilde says she is happy with how strong and agile her body has become with her weekly mix of EMS training and tennis. “BODYTEC supports tennis in that it increases muscle strength and endurance. It also helps to balance out the muscle imbalances you get from using your dominant arm to hit the ball. If you look at some professional tennis players, you’ll notice that their dominant arm is much bigger.”
From London to Zimbabwe, Hilde’s love of tennis has ensured she’s kept up her involvement in tennis. “I love it as a sport, but it’s also very sociable and a great way to make new friends in a new city. I’ll never be a champion, but I love playing tennis and love that I get to play it outdoors and it’s such a dynamic sport. The epic battles at the major tournaments are nerve-racking to watch. My son is also taking tennis lessons and I love that he is now old enough, that we can play against each other. I’ll play wherever there is a tennis court and players,” she says.
“My toughest event was a social tennis tournament in Mauritius in 1997. It was too cold for the beach, so we entered the resort’s fun tennis tournament. We ended up playing against two other men and it became an epic battle because they were determined to win and saw me as the weak spot, so they targeted me in every match. We were determined not to let them win and played like people possessed! We beat them in the end and our prize was a flask of Mauritian Rum,” laughs Hilde.
Her ultimate tennis tip? “If you want to improve start playing against someone slightly better than yourself and keep practising!”
