Eva Longoria is getting her sweat on – on the padel court. In a new social media post the Desperate Housewives star shows off her incredible body in a padel dress during a strenuous workout. "That's gonna leave a mark," she wrote on the Instagram Stories clip. What does Eva love about padel and why is padel such a great workout? Here is everything you need to know.
Longoria is "addicted" to the sport and "watches it all the time on TV, all the time on my Instagram," she told CNN Sport's Amanda Davies. "I was exposed to padel about 10 years ago through my husband and I became a fan."
"Women are super talented in this sport," she added. "So women should absolutely be heading these teams and being a part of management and a part of strategy for where the sport needs to go … These women on the padel tour are bringing a lot of fans to these matches."
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. Why is padel such 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," pro Jorge Rodriguez, Juan Lebron's padel coach, writes for racquet brand Babolat.
Padel is also a great workout for the glutes, "and all the muscles we use in the arms, making our posture firmer."
It's also a great cardiovascular workout. You can burn up to 1000 calories in one game, he maintains. It is also an aerobic workout, which means it helps strengthen your heart and improve other aspects of your health.
"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 adds.
Padel is a great workout 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 encourages socialization, as it is a doubles game. Engaging in social activities, especially later in life, has been linked to longevity.
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