Organized, well-structured youth sports and on-going physical activities can provide many benefits for children and adolescents. Positive experiences that sports and an active lifestyle bring play an important role in a young person’s life.
At University of Missouri Health Care, our adolescent medicine team encourages all children to participate in sports or other regular physical activity. Physical exercise is good for the mind, body and spirit. Team sports help teach adolescents accountability, dedication, leadership and other skills.
Many athletes do better academically
Playing a sport requires a lot of time and energy. Some people may think this would distract student-athletes from schoolwork. However, the opposite is true. Sports require memorization, repetition and learning — skillsets that are directly relevant to class work. Also, the determination and goal-setting skills a sport requires can be transferred to the classroom.
Sports teach teamwork and problem-solving skills
Fighting for a common goal with a group of players and coaches teaches you how to build teamwork and effectively communicate to solve problems. This experience is helpful when encountering problems at work or at home.
Physical health benefits of sports
Clearly, sports can help you reach your fitness goals and maintain a healthy weight. However, they also encourage healthy decision-making such as not smoking and not drinking. Sports also have hidden health benefits such as lowering the chance of osteoporosis or breast cancer later in life.
Sports boost self-esteem
Watching your hard work pay off and achieving your goals develops self-confidence. Achieving a sport or fitness goal encourages you to achieve other goals you set. This is a rewarding and exciting learning process.
Reduce pressure and stress with sports
Exercising is a natural way to loosen up and let go of stress. You can also make new friends who can be there for you as a support system. When you feel under pressure or stressed, call up a teammate, head to the gym to talk and play it out.
Our Adjustable Portable Basketball Hoop is great for kids and adults alike
Basketball is one of the fastest growing and most popular sports. There are over a billion dedicated fans and millions of players! Some may say that playing basketball will help you grow stronger and taller, but there are also numerous other health benefits playing has to offer.
Keeping your heart healthy
Basketball is a contact sport, and it requires a large variety of skill development. When conditioning for basketball, players need aerobic and anaerobic training. Aerobic training involves endurance, and anaerobic training involves short burst activities. During playtime, there is a lot of starting and stopping, so while it is not considered an aerobic sport, it still provides a heart-pumping workout and promotes cardiovascular health. Because you keep moving, your heart rate increases and also helps build endurance, which is important to keeping your heart healthy. It will also help lower the risk of stroke and heart disease later in your life.
Getting into shape
Playing basketball can also help you burn calories. The quick lateral movements, running and jumping give you an aerobic workout, which allows a person who weighs 165 pounds to burn about 600 calories. A person who weighs 250 pounds can burn approximately 900 calories. This demonstrates it is highly effective as a fitness routine that is also fun, so it doesn't necessarily feel like you're hitting the gym with a goal of burning calories.
Building strength
Basketball also helps to build bone and muscle. Any physical activity that involves weight-bearing helps new bone tissue and muscle tissue to form. Your body becomes stronger as a result of the tugging and pushing of muscles against bone that happens during basketball.
Stress relief
Basketball is a great stress reliever. When stress is decreased, you have more energy and focus to complete other tasks. It also makes you more social, which can help prevent depression. Your immune system will receive a boost when stress is lowered, making you overall healthier and your body naturally combative!
Full-body toning/workout
When you play basketball you get a full-body workout, this helps develop lean muscle in your lower back, neck, deltoids, traps and core. It also makes your legs stronger, and shooting and dribbling help strengthen your arms, hand and wrist.
Quick thinking
Basketball is not only a fast-paced game that requires a lot of physical skill, but also a mind game that requires you to think on your toes. This sport requires heavy focus so you can accurately and quickly process what is happening on the court, then make the correct decisions to direct the ball. You also have to assess the court environment around you and make split second decisions based on the actions of other players on the court.
Hand-eye coordination
Basketball requires a lot of hand-eye coordination as well as full-body coordination. Practicing or playing basketball develops these skills as you rebound, dribble, and navigate the court while making your next move - whether it be a pass or a shot.
With the many benefits of basketball, it is the perfect reason for you to pick up a ball and start shooting some hoops. It can be played alone or with friends – no matter what you choose, you receive a great workout and many health benefits. By making this sport a part of your fitness routine, you'll be physically and mentally fit for many years
You must have heard that playing basketball regularly can help you grow taller and become swifter and stronger. Well, that’s true. But that is not all – as there are many other benefits of playing basketball that you may want to know.
Continue reading to explore the several other benefits of playing this sport regularly.
- Basketball – A Brief
- Tips
- Frequently Asked Questions
Basketball is a much-loved sport all across the world. It is popular because it can be played as a competitive sport or a casual game on the local court. It is also a great way to work out as it involves using your entire body (1). It is a fast-paced game that involves a good deal of jumping and running which is a fantastic way to exercise. If you want a sport that helps you stay fit and healthy, basketball is the perfect choice as it comes with more than a few health benefits.
Following are the health benefits of basketball.
1. Promotes Cardiovascular Health
Basketball is great for your heart health! Because you keep moving, your heart rate increases. It also helps in building endurance, which is important when you want to make sure that your heart is healthy. It will help lower the risk of stroke and heart disease later in your life (2).
2. Burns Calories
Do you want to shed a few extra kilos? Play basketball! All the quick lateral movements, running and jumping, gives you an aerobic workout that in turn can help you burn a lot of calories. For every hour of basketball, a person who weighs 165 pounds can expect to burn about 600 calories while a person who weighs 250 pounds can expect to burn approximately 900 calories.
3. Builds Bone Strength
The physical demands of this awesome sport help in improving and building bone strength. Any physical activity that involves weight-bearing allows the formation of new bone tissue, and this in turn makes the bones stronger (3). Both the muscles and bones in your body become stronger with basketball as it is a physical activity that involves the tugging and pushing of muscles against bone.
4. Boosts The Immune System
When you play basketball or any other sport, it helps in reducing stress (4). When stress is decreased, you will have more energy and focus to complete tasks. It also makes you more social, which in turns helps in preventing depression. When stress is lowered, your immune system gets a boost as well.
5. Provides Strength Training
By playing basketball, you get an excellent full-body workout. This helps in the development of lean muscle. It can help develop your lower back, neck, deltoids, traps and core muscles. It also makes your legs stronger, and the movements like shooting and dribbling help strengthen your arms, hand muscles and wrist flexors (5).
6. Boosts Mental Development
Basketball may be a fast-paced game that requires a lot of physical skills, but it is also a mind game that requires you to think on your toes (4). It requires you to have a lot of focus so that you can accurately and quickly process the action on the court and make decisions that are effective with the ball. It also requires you to train yourself so that you can observe your opponents and teammates constantly and make quick decisions based on their actions.
[ Read: Health Benefits Of Using An Exercise Cycle ]
7. Develops Better Coordination And Motor Skills
Basketball requires excellent hand-eye coordination as well as full-body coordination (5). When you play this sport, it gives you the training to help develop these skills. Dribbling gives you training for hand-eye coordination while rebounding shots that are missed gives you the training to develop full-body coordination (6).
8. Develops Self-Discipline And Concentration
As with other sports, there are rules that need to be followed when you play basketball. When you break these rules, it can lead to penalties for you as well as your team. It helps you develop self-discipline that is important as it encourages you to be more competitive and fair at the same time. It also keeps your mind focused and alert.
9. Improves Awareness Of Space And Body
Basketball is a game that improves spatial awareness (7). You need to know where you are positioned to make that perfect shot or play defense effectively. When you have an awareness of the space and body, you will know exactly where you need to be when your teammate or opponent makes a shot or passes the ball. When your spatial awareness is improved, it also helps in keeping you in balance.
10. Boosts Confidence
One of the best benefits of playing basketball is that it truly boosts one’s confidence (8). Being a good player and being a member of a great team can do wonders to increase your self-esteem and help you gain more confidence. When your confidence is boosted, your faith in your skills is also increased. Being confident allows you to face life with an improved disposition and has a positive effect on every aspect of your life.
The fast-paced action involved in basketball makes it one of the most exciting games to play and watch in the world. The fact that it provides numerous benefits is an excellent bonus. It is no wonder that the President of the US has made it a part of his regular workout regimen to keep himself physically and mentally fit. It is a great game for both adults and children. If you are looking to play a sport that gives you multiple benefits, both physically and mentally, this is the one for you.
Tips
- Always warm up and stretch your joints and muscles before you hit the court. Make it a point to stretch and cool down after a game as well.
- Basketball is a physically demanding game. It is important to have plenty of fluids on hand so that you can rehydrate your body at regular intervals.
- Because of the physical demands, it is important that you keep yourself flexible and strong.
Playing basketball helps you cover a wide range of movements as you constantly keep running and jumping. It helps improve your heart rate and endurance, thus lowering the risk of heart disease and stroke. It is a demanding sport in terms of stamina and energy, so it is the best way to burn calories. Moreover, the intense physical activity involved in this sport also helps boost immunity, strengthen bones, and improve concentration and hand-eye coordination. Make sure you stretch your body and properly hydrate yourself before getting to the court.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is basketball a good sport for girls?
Basketball, like any other sports, is good for anyone with a liking for it, irrespective of their gender. It helps strengthen your bones, improve stamina, and keeps you fit and active.
Why is women’s basketball not popular?
Given ample opportunities and the required exposure and training, women basketball can get equally popular pretty soon.
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