The Benefits of Playing Basketball

Mark Izydore
3 min readJun 1, 2022

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Basketball is a sport that people all around the globe like and appreciate. It can be played both inside and outdoors due to its low equipment requirements and ease of setup. It had 450 million players and viewers worldwide in 2019, according to the International Basketball Federation (FIBA).

The sport has several physical, mental, and emotional health advantages for those looking to increase their physical activity or adopt a better lifestyle. In this regard, it is an excellent mental and total-body exercise.

You will also require muscular endurance, which refers to the muscles’ capacity to exert force over a long time repeatedly. Increase your physical endurance by playing basketball and doing activities that strengthen your lower and upper bodies. Additionally, you might concentrate on strengthening your core and back muscles. This will improve your endurance, energy, levels, and performance.

Along with a balanced diet, basketball may help you lose weight or maintain a healthy weight. According to some estimates, one hour of basketball may burn up to 800 calories, so if you are looking to reduce a few extra pounds, basketball can help.

Apart from weight management and weight loss, basketball may help you minimize your chance of developing heart disease. According to research, 70-minute basketball workouts three times a week at a level of exercise intensity between 50 and 80 percent of your heart rate reserve (HRR) assist in lowering blood pressure. HRR measures how hard you work during an exercise or other physical activity.

Basketball may aid in the development of your sense of balance. Balance is a mechanism through which your body plans your motions depending on the data gathered by your brain. Additionally, it helps you improve your ability to coordinate your movements since you must constantly observe, hold, dribble, or pass the ball.

Physical exercise produces endorphins, the feel-good or happy chemicals. Endorphins may make you feel better, help you relax, and lessen pain. Additionally, they may help reduce depression, raise self-esteem, and improve job performance.

By remaining focused on the game, basketball may also help you improve your attention abilities. Additionally, this may aid in the development of present-moment awareness or mindfulness. These methods may help cope with worry in other aspects of your life.

Basketball contributes to the development of a feeling of community and collaboration. You could have the opportunity to engage favorably with individuals from many backgrounds, which can help extend your viewpoint. Additionally, you will develop the ability to conduct yourself honorably and gracefully regardless of the result of your performance. Together, you and your team members may strive to be helpful, good role models for one another.

Basketball may help you develop your ability to “think on your feet” since you are often required to make split-second judgments with little time on your hands. Regular participation in the activity might assist you in transferring these talents to other areas of your life, such as your job or family.

You may pick up new verbal and nonverbal communication techniques as you connect with your team members. There will undoubtedly be opportunities for communication before, during, and after a game or practice. Whether you learn to speak out more often or keep your mouth shut more often, developing excellent communication skills can enhance your athletic, personal, and professional lives.

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Mark Izydore

Based in both Sewickley, Pennsylvania, and Jupiter, Florida, Mark Izydore has served CJ Consultants in Jupiter as a co-manager since 2020.