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Basketball is a well-rounded sport that offers cardio exercise while building muscle and strengthening our bones. Some even believe that playing basketball can help us grow taller!
It is also a fun way to learn important social skills like teamwork and communication. Want to build and improve your basketball skills? Try out the exercises below!
Improve control with wrist exercises
Take “ghost shots” – Pretend you have a basketball and shoot as if you are aiming for a three-pointer. This activates your wrist muscles and warms them up, increasing your range of motion while decreasing risk of injury.
Practice ball pounding – Ball pounding is a harder and faster version of ball bouncing. This action trains you to exert more force from your wrist, helping you build strength and control in that area.
Fingertip push-ups – Push-ups typically work our triceps. To isolate your wrist muscles instead, try pushing off from your fingertips rather than your palms. This exercise also boosts our finger control for better ball handling.
Use a weighted basketball for drills – This will not only build strength and control in your wrists, but will also help you increase your shooting range!
Pump up your jumps
Squats – This simple exercise engages the important muscles in your lower body that propel you when you jump. Try squatting as deep as you can to get the full benefits of the exercise!
Box jumps – Practice hopping up onto an elevated surface (such as a box or bench) to build strength in your legs and posterior. Challenge yourself to jump higher by gradually increasing the height of the surface.
Build balance
Lateral lunges and skaters – These moves work the quads, hamstrings and calves, while opening the muscles in the hips and pelvis. They will help you move quickly and fluidly, such as when you are defending or moving around the court.
Yoga – Yoga poses like warrior, tree (vrksasana), dancer (natarajasana) and chair (uktakasana) activate many muscle groups in the entire body. They will help you build balance and boost your ability to react rapidly in fast-paced games.
Practice, practice, practice
It’s one thing to work on strength, balance and control.
But it’s also important to practice the actual game too! Grab your family and/or friends and head to a nearby basketball court and get playing! The more you play, the more comfortable and confident you will feel on the court!
Looking for more basketball inspiration? Get your tickets to the FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup, happening at Marina Bay Sands from 6 - 10 July! You can also watch replays of the National School Games basketball matches through this link.
