Cardiovascular exercise is a necessity in order to obtain bodybuilding success, as well as general health and mental clarity. For most people, it is the most despised and least successful part of the bodybuilding routine. This is due to the tedious and never ending nature of sitting on a machine for hours and hours without the somewhat immediate results. But most people don’t know that cardio doesn’t have to be as tedious and uneventful as it is, and also that it can be done outdoors. Perhaps these people should get off of the exercise bike and go outside to lose weight while playing basketball!

Basketball is liked amongst all age brackets. It can be played with one player, two players, or even ten players with two separate teams. You can determine both the pace and the intensity of the game. And with a little planning, basketball can be used to supplement and improve your cardiovascular exercise.

Be Healthy

Basketball is an excellent work out for the cardiovascular system. If you are playing by yourself, you can shoot some baskets, try to get rebounds, or just run with the ball up and down the court practicing lay-ups. Any of these activities will definitely keep your heart rate going and cause it to improve. Being exposed to the sun will help your skin develop a tan as well as absorb Vitamin D. Your mind will feel better from the break from the boringness of the exercise bike. The competitive spirit inside you will feel great from the accomplishment that comes when you make a tricky shot or get a tough rebound. And let’s not forget that all of this also increases your metabolism, which means that you’re going to lose body fat, and oxygen will be better carried to your heart, brain, and other systems, which is the ultimate goal of cardio for health.

Be Careful

The time spent on the court having achieved an accelerated heart rate needs to be the same amount of time usually spent on the stationary bike. Basketball can be a great tool for fitness, but a few minutes of arbitrarily shooting hoops isn’t going to benefit your health. While playing, the time needs to be spent running, jumping, shooting, and rebounding for an amount of time between a half an hour and an hour in order to get the cardiovascular benefits involved in bodybuilding. So if you enjoy doing it so much that you’re playing for three hours a day and overdoing it, a noticeable hunk of muscle mass is going to get burned off. So remember that all good things are to be consumed in moderation. Basketball is considered a high impact sport, so also be careful making the change from low impact exercises such as elliptical machines. It can also be tough on the knee joints due to all of the fast changes in direction.

So if you love to be healthy and in shape but are tired of the usual bore of the average gym, replace your cardio with basketball and see what can happen!

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Cardiovascular exercise is a requirement for both bodybuilding success and overall health and well-being. It is perhaps the most hated and least rewarding part of the bodybuilding equation, due to the monotony of plugging away on a machine endlessly for hours with seemingly little to no reward. However, cardio doesn’t have to be boring and it doesn’t have to take place indoors. It’s time to get some sunshine and take your cardio routine to the basketball court!

Basketball is a popular sport for all ages. You can play alone, with a few others, or in a large 5-on-5 setting. You can choose the pace, you can choose the intensity. And if you plan it out, you can use basketball to complete your cardiovascular exercise.

Benefits

Basketball can be a great exercise for the cardiovascular system. Playing alone, you can shoot baskets, rebound, run half-or full-court layup drills, and easily keep your heart rate elevated in the recommended range (60 to 80%). Your skin will benefit from the Vitamin D and tan that comes from sun exposure. Your mind will benefit from the break from the horrid monotony of the treadmill. Your competitive spirit will thank you for the feeling of accomplishment that comes from making shots or winning games. And above all, you’ll boost your metabolism, which leads to losing body fat, and you’ll bring oxygen to your heart, brain, and other systems, the goal of cardio for health.

Watch the clock

You need to be on the court (with an accelerated heart rate) just as long as you’d be on the stationary bike or elliptical machine. Fifteen minutes of casually shooting hoops just isn’t going to cut it. You need to be running, jumping, shooting, rebounding, and playing defense for 25 to 45 minutes if you wish to gain the cardiovascular benefits of lifting. On the other hand, be careful not to overdo it. You’re going to burn a significant amount of muscle mass if you’re playing basketball for two hours per day. Use all good things in moderation – you wouldn’t be on the treadmill for two hours per day, so don’t spend that long on the basketball court either.

Cautions

Basketball can be a high impact sport. Making quick changes in direction can place the knees and ankles at risk. Also playing basketball at a higher bodyweight can cause problems, as all that jumping does require landing, and hard landings at high bodyweights are very tough on the knee joints.

If you love being lean and healthy, but don’t enjoy the hours on the treadmill, give basketball a try for your cardio session.