Tennis Industry News

Mari Scott has always needed to watch her physical appearance. Being the lead singer in a world touring band, MariZen, put eyes of fans on her constantly. Her appearance was important to her and although Scott admits she was never in great shape, she was thin enough to fit the part. 

One of the tools that Scott used to help her keep off those extra pounds was Cardio Tennis. The program was offered every day at Midtown Tennis Club in Chicago, which was just a few blocks from her home. She had played tennis in high school, so at the age of 28, she thought she should give it a try.

“My first class was really intense and it made me realize how out of shape I was,” says Scott, who is now 32. “But it was also way more fun than running on a treadmill for an hour, so I knew I had to go back.”

Scott began playing Cardio Tennis six days a week when she wasn’t on tour with her band, and she loved how fit she got by playing a sport she enjoyed. She got married in 2008 and soon after found out she was pregnant. She continued to play Cardio Tennis until she was five months into her pregnancy, then decided she just couldn’t run around the court anymore. During the last four months of her pregnancy, she put on 60 pounds and was topping the scale at 200 pounds.

“After I had my baby I took off 30 pounds pretty much straight away, but I still didn’t have the body I needed to perform on stage with my band,” she says. “I had to get back to Cardio Tennis, but it wasn’t easy. The extra weight made my knees throb on the court. But the coaches really helped me stay motivated and not give up.”

In the last seven months, Cardio Tennis has helped Scott shed those extra 20 pounds and now she feels confident performing again. She’s still hoping to lose another 15 pounds and knows that Cardio Tennis is the way to do it.

“Losing weight has been this horrible battle my whole life and career as a musician,” she says. “Cardio Tennis has been the most fun and easiest weight-loss regimen to stick to—primarily because it is fun, energizing, motivating and challenging.”