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Before performing any exercise, it is important to prepare the body by performing an appropriate warm-up. Warming up prepares the body for the upcoming activities and can help decrease the risk of injury. The warm-up for basketball should be done before every exercise session - whether it be for competition games, practice sessions, or gym workouts.

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Example Basketball Warm-Up

A basketball game can involve an extended period of explosive jumping and rapid change of direction. To get the body prepared for such activities, a thorough warm-up is required. The warm-up should focus on the specific actions and muscle groups that will be involved in the activity, and gradually move from low intensity to high intensity.

Here is an example of what can be done, but the specifics can be adjusted to suit the age and level of the athletes, and constraints such as limited space, time availability, and the environmental conditions.

• A slow jog (a lap or two of an oval, or if inside a few laps of the gym)
• 15 minutes of stretching - involving static stretches (quads, hamstrings, calves, torso, shoulders) followed by dynamic stretches (arm circles and swings, leg swings).
• Runs up and down along the side of the court. Running forwards and backwards, side shuffles, leg crossovers.
• 5 × 30m length runs (increase from 50% effort to maximal sprint).
• 5 x 10m out and back short sprints
• 5 zigzag runs (75% effort).
• Basketball drills such as dribbling and shooting.

Special Considerations

• If there are extended rest periods where the players are not exercising, for example resting on the bench, they may have to go through some of these procedures again to keep the muscles and joints ready to safely and consistently perform.

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Related Pages

• Warming Up For Sports
• List of Stretches
• A discussion of the fitness components for basketball
• About the NBA combine.
• fitness testing for basketball
• Basketball Polls