The Benefits of Basketball
Basketball is one of the most practiced sports worldwide. Among other things, it’s an activity that brings many positive consequences for the athletes who practice it. In today’s article, we’ll talk about the benefits of basketball. Are you ready to play it?
This sport is a fast-moving game that involves a variety of movements and actions, such as throws, assists, rebounds, and jumps. As if that weren’t enough, basketball is one of the most demanding activities you can put your body through.
While playing, your heart rate will be constantly increasing. This not only helps to reduce the risk of heart disease but also mitigates mental and emotional health problems, such as anxiety and depression.
Likewise, because of the relatively small playing field, teamwork is an important part of this sport. You should always respect the rules, and playing alongside others make this one of the best and most entertaining physical activities that can be performed.
What are the benefits of basketball?
Basketball fans say this is more than just a game, it’s a lifestyle! These are some of the reasons why playing it can help you keep a healthy mind and body!
1. Discipline
As with other sports, there are rules that must be respected when you play basketball. When a player violates these rules, both the player and the rest of the team will be penalized.
Because of this, basketball is great at developing self-discipline. This is an important trait that encourages athletes to be more competitive and fair at the same time.
2. Ability to work in a team
As with all team sports, basketball unites people and creates bonds and friendships. In fact, the mechanics of the sport make it vital to work alongside your peers in order to achieve a common goal. Everyone on the team has to learn to collaborate to win, regardless of the position they actually play in the field.
The key thing is not to try to be the star player, but to be able to work in perfect harmony and coordination with your teammates. Learning to cooperate with others is a skill that will give you a lifetime of advantages!
3. Promotes cardiovascular health
Cardiovascular health is vital to keep your body fit and live a better life, and this is something basketball can definitely help with.
By practicing this sport, you enjoy an excellent workout for the whole body. This is mainly because your heart is pumping more efficiently and your breathing will become faster. As a sport, basketball remarkably promotes cardiovascular health.
All the movements involved in basketball, such as running, defending or jumping, provide aerobic training that in turn can help you burn a lot of calories. On top of that, the physical demands of basketball require players to be constantly on the move, which helps develop endurance and keep a healthy heart.
4. Strength training, another benefit of basketball
Another thing you’ll love about basketball is that it isn’t just aerobic training. It’s also an excellent way to build strength in your body.
In fact, basketball can be an excellent strength training workout, because almost every limb of the body is used during the game. It also strengthens the legs, and certain movements such as throwing a basket or dribbling opponents will help strengthen your arms, hand muscles, and wrist flexors.
5. Improves coordination
Ultimately, practicing basketball on a regular basis will greatly improve your coordination. Because of the different movements in the game, you’ll involve your entire body at the same time while passing the ball, throwing a basket, running along the track or cheating the rival players.
In addition, as you practice dribbles and passing the ball you’ll definitely develop your motor skills as well as eye-hand coordination. The more you play it, the better you’ll be able to apply those skills to your everyday life.
Basketball has many benefits. Besides having fun, you’ll reap benefits in all areas of your life. If you’ve never tried it, why not start practicing it?
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
- Newman, J. S., & Newberg, A. H. (2010, November). Basketball Injuries. Radiologic Clinics of North America. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rcl.2010.07.007
- Gross, C. E., Huh, J., & Nunley, J. A. (2017). Basketball. In Foot and Ankle Sports Orthopaedics (pp. 427–436). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-15735-1_47
- Narazaki, K., Berg, K., Stergiou, N., & Chen, B. (2009). Physiological demands of competitive basketball. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, 19(3), 425–432. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0838.2008.00789.x
