BASKETBALL IS ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR SPORTS IN THE WORLD. THE GAMES ARE FAST AND COMPETE WITH EACH OTHER IN THE STRUGGLE FOR THE BALL TO MAKE THIS ONE SPORT LOOK EXCITING AND VERY COMPETITIVE. BUT DID YOU KNOW THAT PLAYING BASKETBALL REGULARLY CAN PROVIDE YOU WITH A NUMBER OF HEALTH BENEFITS, CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING:

Basketball is one of the most popular sports in the world. The games are fast and compete with each other in the struggle for the ball to make this one sport look exciting and very competitive. But did you know that playing basketball regularly can provide you with a number of health benefits, consider the following:

1. Staying Body Fit
   Basketball is a great sport to play for your body’s fitness. Activities such as ball handling and dribbling, improve your motor skills. Since players have to work with their hands, feet and eyes in close coordination, playing basketball helps you improve your coordination skills.
2. Improves Cardiovascular Health
   Basketball is a fast-paced game that involves a lot of running, dribbling, fast turning, passing, jumping and throwing. So basketball can serve as an effective cardiovascular exercise, which speeds up breathing and increases the supply of oxygenated blood to the muscles of the body. Thus, playing basketball can keep your heart healthy, keep cardiovascular diseases at bay, including high blood pressure.
3. Developing Muscle Strength
   Basketball is a contact-intensive sport. Continuous running on the court uses all the major muscles in the leg, including the calf muscles, hamstrings, quadriceps, and gluteus maximus . Basketball is one of the toughest games, intense training causes muscles to get stronger. Shooting strengthens the muscles of the upper body and arms, including the biceps and chest muscles. Basketball is an effective core body exercise.
4. Increase Stamina and Build Endurance Endurance
   is defined as the body’s ability to stay active for a longer period of time. During your early basketball days, you may find yourself constantly lacking energy. But with regular practice, you can develop endurance and increase your stamina. Basketball challenges players to push themselves, and the longer you play, the stronger you become.
5. Helping You Lose Weight
   Basketball is a fast-paced exercise, and involves a lot of quick, sharp movements, not to mention running. This helps burn calories and keep you fit. The average player runs 4 to 5 miles during one hour of play. In fact, research has shown that intense basketball sessions can help you burn 650-750 calories per hour.