Basketball is a great sport that matches many skill levels and ages, due to its global recognition. With indoor courts, it is possible to play basketball yearlong, in which you can master the basics of dribble, shooting, positioning, and vertical leap. You may play basketball with a lively or aggressive spirit. But aside from being a sport, basketball is also a great source of physical and health advantages, as posted below.

Helps Develop Vertical Jump

Playing basketball gives youth and adults the opportunity to develop necessary movement skills. According to a 2018 research, basketball is an effective way to improve basic movement skills that children need to learn. Besides, as a form of exercise, basketball also improves agility, speed and strength. These skills have been shown to have a positive impact on promoting a healthy body weight.

It also encourage more physical training, which can improve cardiorespiratory fitness and self-esteem. In addition, playing basketball improves body coordination and balance–both essential for dribbling, passing, and shooting.

Improves Body Composition and Heart Health

Researchers also found out that playing basketball had a positive impact on overall body composition. In the said 2018 study, untrained men received three weeks of street basketball training, which gave them positive effect on overall physical fitness and body composition. Aside from the basic moves such as crossover, wraparound, behind the back, dribble, and vertical jump, the men leaned the importance of increasing their body mass and decreased their body fat percentage. As basketball helps overall physical fitness, it also increases heart rate, which has a positive impact on cardiorespiratory fitness and reduces the prospect of developing cardiovascular disease.

Strengthens Muscle and Bone Endurance

Playing basketball requires strength, stamina, and agility. You need to change quickly and execute instructions with high-intensity, short-duration muscle contractions. As such, muscular endurance, which is the ability of muscles to exert force for a long period of time, is also necessary. By doing upper and lower body strength exercises, it also enhances your cardiovascular and spinal muscles. Also, by playing team sports like basketball, researchers also concluded that it has a positive impact on bone strength, which is vital to jump higher.

Individuals who played handball or soccer were found to have higher bone density than those who were more sedentary.