Basketball is quickly becoming one of the most popular sports throughout the country. However, did you know that basketball can be extremely beneficial for your health? There are a multitude of health benefits associated with playing basketball. Today, we’re going to look at six of the primary health benefits of basketball.
Become More Balanced
A frequently overlooked component of obtaining excellent health is improving your balance. Believe it or not, individuals with better motor skills and balance are significantly less likely to sustain injuries. Playing basketball requires that you perform multiple complex tasks simultaneously. For instance, you routinely have to shoot while jumping, dribble while keeping your head up, run while dribbling, and complete more simultaneous actions. Over time, performing all of these moves will allow you to become extremely flexible, coordinated, and balanced.
Burn Calories
One of the best health benefits associated with playing basketball is burning calories. Did you know that for every hour you’re playing on the hardwood, you could burn upwards of 700 calories? Between the vigorous running, jumping, cutting, and quick movements, you will likely lose a significant amount of body fat. This means that with a little bit of hard work and dedication, you can quickly get into peak physical shape.
Improve Mental Health
Most people begin playing sports with the intention of getting in better shape physically. However, many individuals soon realize that playing sports does more than benefit you physically; it can also boost your mental health. When you play basketball, you have to make split-second decisions, work with teammates, and have internal confidence in yourself. Whenever you add these skills to your repertoire, it is likely that you will build confidence in yourself and your abilities.
Strengthen Your Body
Don’t be fooled, lifting weights is certainly not the only way to build strength. Playing basketball challenges your bones, ligaments, and tendons to strengthen. Whenever you engage in a physical activity such as basketball, your body responds by developing a new layer of bone tissue. This bone tissue is particularly noticeable in your lower body due to the immense amount of running and jumping that you do while playing basketball. Possibly even more important, developing new bone tissue helps protect you from injury.
Boost Your Endurance
Another primary benefit of playing basketball is building endurance. Many of you can relate to the feeling of being absolutely gassed simply walking up a flight of stairs. However, playing basketball over a long period of time will gradually improve your endurance. Having greater levels of endurance is associated with many health benefits, making it especially beneficial.
Enhance Your Heart Health
If you’re still not convinced of the health benefits of basketball, you should know that basketball is excellent for your heart. On a basic level, basketball promotes cardiovascular health by keeping you constantly active and moving. This can boost your heart rate, resulting in greater durability and heart health. Because of this, playing basketball is directly correlated with reduced risk of heart disease, stroke, heart attack, cardiovascular disease, and other common heart ailments.
Hopefully, this article has inspired you to shoot some hoops and improve your health. Playing basketball will offer you a fun, engaging, and healthy sport to participate in.