Is Tennis Good Cardio or Just Good Exercise? (Garmin Heart-Rate Test)

Watch the Test

Stephanie compares 30 minutes of tennis vs a 30-minute HupSix workout using a Garmin HRM-Pro Plus.

The Test: Tennis vs HupSix

We played for 30 minutes wearing Garmin HRM-Pro Plus straps to compare tennis against a 30-minute HupSix workout.

• Stephanie’s Tennis (30 min): 12 moderate + 2 vigorous = 16 zone minutes
• Paul’s Tennis (30 min): 11 moderate + 1 vigorous = 13 zone minutes
• Typical HupSix (30 min): ~15–20 vigorous + ~10 moderate = ~40–50 total zone minutes

Those HupSix numbers are recorded indoors in a temperature-controlled setting, so the vigorous minutes reflect true cardiovascular effort — not heat-induced spikes.

What Is HupSix?

HupSix is a fast-paced workout that improves the way you move using patented gear, body-weight exercises, and audio cues to get you moving in sync to music that rocks. Each class runs six rounds in 30 minutes, combining movement, timing, and rhythm to deliver real cardio training.

The patented kit includes handheld grips attached to a bungee and weighted base, plus over-sneaker socks with a swivel to keep movement smooth and tangle-free. It sets up in about the space of a yoga mat and stores to about a handbag footprint. The app is about $10 per month for guided classes.

Cardio Training vs Cardio Activity

Tennis is absolutely a cardio activity. Cardio training means you hold moderate-to-vigorous zones long enough to create adaptation. Both matter — but they’re not the same. Playing tennis builds skill and coordination, while structured cardio develops the endurance that keeps you consistent late in matches.

What Counts as Cardio Training?

Cardio training means sustained time in moderate or vigorous heart-rate zones — whether steady-state or interval-based. What matters is total time in zone. Interval training, like HupSix, alternates work and rest phases over 30 minutes, keeping your heart elevated long enough to build endurance and improve heart function.

Guidelines check: The CDC and American Heart Association recommend 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous cardio per week — and vigorous minutes count double toward that total. Structuring tennis into intervals helps you bank real “in-zone” time.

Our approach is grounded in cardio science: Dr. Kenneth H. Cooper identified cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) as a key predictor of health, while Dr. Benjamin Levine and the Norwegian 4×4 lineage proved how structured vigorous work can remodel an aging heart toward younger mechanics.

Stop chasing the scale — start chasing zone minutes. Your heart adapts to time spent in moderate and vigorous zones.

How to Make Tennis Count as Training

If you want tennis to deliver true cardio benefits, apply interval structure similar to HupSix:

• Work: Hit against a wall or rally hard for 3–4 minutes. Move wide, shuffle, and keep the ball in play at a brisk pace.
• Rest: Easy walk or light bounce for 3 minutes.
• Repeat: 4 rounds. Track your zones with a chest-strap heart-rate monitor to confirm moderate-to-vigorous time.

In our wall-drill test, 15 minutes produced ~13 vigorous minutes — proof you can push tennis into training territory with structure. This mirrors how competitive players condition off-court — focused intervals that push pace, then short recovery — so you build endurance faster than with casual rallies.

Heat Can Skew Heart-Rate Numbers

When you train in high temperatures, your heart rate naturally climbs — not because you’re working harder, but because your body is trying to cool itself. This process, called cardiovascular drift, makes it seem like you’re in a higher zone than you are. Heat stress doesn’t equal cardio progress — it’s your cooling system in action.

Hydrate, train smart, and remember: heart-rate spikes from heat don’t reflect real fitness improvement.

Why HupSix Helps Tennis Players

Players often tell us they feel quicker on their feet, react faster, and can rally longer after consistent HupSix training. We’ve seen it ourselves on court and heard similar feedback from athletes in basketball and flag football.

While we don’t have lab data yet, the pattern is clear: HupSix builds coordination, reaction time, and agility. Those qualities transfer directly to tennis movement and performance. It’s not about mimicking tennis drills — it’s about training the qualities that make them better.

Is Tennis Good Exercise Overall?

Absolutely. Tennis is a fantastic full-body workout that develops balance, coordination, and power. But as cardio training, it’s inconsistent. The pauses between points and games mean you’re rarely sustaining a moderate-to-vigorous heart rate long enough for adaptation. Pairing tennis with structured cardio like HupSix gives you both — skill and stamina.

For more data-based comparisons, see Is Hiking Cardio or Just Good Exercise? and Best At-Home Cross-Training for Boxers.

Bottom Line

Tennis is fantastic for skill and movement. If your goal is heart health and endurance, pair tennis with structured cardio sessions. HupSix delivers that in 30 minutes — six guided rounds, timed intervals, and original rock music that keeps you engaged.

Every class trains cardio with resistance and rhythm so you build endurance, coordination, and reaction time — without bulky machines or endless running.

Curious how this compares across sports? See our test-based guides in Sports Workouts.

Let’s Go

Try one class and wear a chest strap. If it isn’t one of the most fun and effective cardio workouts you’ve ever done, send it back — no questions asked.

Get the Gear

Want to Learn More About HupSix?

• HupSix vs TRX, Peloton, and Tonal: See how it compares
• Why the gear costs $240: What goes into it
• Is HupSix gear safe at home? Safety and setup

Risk-Free to Try

HupSix comes with a 30-day full refund. Plus, you have 12 months for a prorated return if life gets busy. Need help? Send us a video — our certified instructors give 1-on-1 tips anytime.

Lifetime gear warranty included.