Basketball and Aerobic Training

Physical fitness is a key element for anyone who wants to have success as a basketball player. Strength is an important physical attribute in cases where you're fighting for a rebound. Agility and quickness can help you cut through the lane and drive toward the basket. But with the amount of running up and down the court that basketball players do, being fit aerobically is usually the most important factor when it comes to training.

  1. Importance

    • Aerobic fitness is important to a basketball player because a large part of playing basketball involves running up and down the court. Making aerobic training a major part of your training program can provide a valuable edge over your opponent as you go deeper into the game. Your body will be able to replenish your muscles with oxygen and other vital nutrients faster and more efficiently. When your opponent is slowing down and breathing harder in the final minutes of the game, you'll be able to blow by him.

    How Training Works

    • Endurance training improves your abilities on the court by allowing you to play harder, longer. According to the Texas Heart Institute, while endurance training does create a slight increase in muscle strength, it's main benefits are increased muscle stamina and the ability of the heart to pump more blood with each heartbeat, which allows more oxygen-carrying red blood cells to reach your muscles more quickly. Regular aerobic exercise also causes the body to create more capillaries (small blood vessels) to carry oxygen-rich blood to more areas in your muscles. It also boosts the number of red blood cells. Increased stroke volume plus more capillaries plus more red blood cells equals more stamina for you.

    Endurance Exercises

    • To develop your endurance, you should do aerobic exercises for an extended period of time. You can do this by taking part in activities such as running, biking or swimming, or by using exercise equipment, such as an elliptical machine or rowing machine. Add variety to your workouts so you avoid causing injury due to overuse and focus on conditioning different parts of your body. Also, change the focus of your workouts. Train for a longer period of time at a slower pace one day, then for a shorter period of time at a slightly quicker pace another day.

    Interval Training

    • Interval training is a different type of aerobics. Interval training alternates periods of intense activity with periods of rest or lower activity. The quick bursts in interval training translate well to game situations where you find yourself slashing toward the basket or running up to an opponent to try to block a shot or steal the ball. The fast-twitch muscle fibers that you develop in interval training will improve your speed, power and quickness, while burning more fat than endurance training. And interval training adds variety to your workouts, making them more fun.

    Interval Exercises

    • Interval training is a good way to improve your aerobic conditioning without having to slog through a long workout. If you want to do a short, highly intense workout, exercises like shuttle runs or suicides can work. Start at one baseline, sprint to the foul line and back, then sprint to the midcourt line and back, and so on until you've made it to the other baseline. Rest for a minute, then do another suicide. Repeat this six or eight times. You can also do fartleks, in which you vary your pace during a run, alternating between slow jogs and near-sprints.