Basketball As an Enduring, Non-Contact Sport

Many sports become too difficult to play as an adult. Old bones just can’t take the pressure of football tackles, and running becomes too strenuous on joints and bones for many to continue with a game focused on speed like soccer. Sometimes it’s not the bodily limitations that hold up older enthusiasts; finding the time to work out is a challenge for many hard-working adults. But with only a small group of friends basketball is a viable option for an older team that wants to get out and sweat a little. Pick-up games can be as short as 15 minutes or as long as 2 hours, and the benefits are well worth the effort.

When playing basketball, the team needs to move only as quickly as its slowest player. This means that players can speed walk down the court and still be able to defend their baskets. Many adults enjoy a game of basketball as a way to keep in shape without risking their overall bone and joint health. Though the benefits are obvious for youth (keep down obesity, keep heart, lungs, and organs healthy, work as a team, etc) there are myriad health benefits that come only with age. Moderate exercise keeps bones strong enough that it minimizes risk of breakage in elderly. Middle-aged players can look forward to a lessened diabetes risk, lower blood pressure and a decreased risk of Alzheimer’s. And of course the big one: physical activity significantly lowers chances of coronary problems.

Of course the physical benefits are huge, but psychological benefits also abound for continuing athletic practice into the older years. Working out releases endorphins, keeping players happy and calm throughout the day. Keeping waistlines trim will keeps athletes looking good and feeling even better. And that increase in self-esteem doesn’t go away when you graduate high school, nor does the need for it. Basketball can make you feel like a star again!

Author: Geoff James
Source: ezinearticles.com