Warming up before playing in a basketball game has multiple positive effects on performance, cognition, confidence and physical ability. The warm-up allows your body to gradual ready itself for physical activity and allows time for last-minute practice to work on fine tweaks and shooting alterations. Performing warm-up drills and exercises also decrease the chances of a muscular or joint injury.
Preparing Active Muscles and the Body For Activity
The National Strength and Conditioning Association states that warming up before activity will prepare active muscles to contract faster, stronger and more powerfully, and increases blood flow to the active muscles. The muscles you are using in basketball are your large leg and hip muscles, which demand a lot of energy and thus a lot of blood flow. It is very beneficial if the muscles are prepared and readied before the start of the game so that you can use all your abilities.
Decreasing Risk of Injury
Dr. Vivian H. Heyward, author of "Advanced Fitness Assessment and Prescription," reports that you will have a decreased risk of injury after engaging in a warm-up prior to physical activity, a game or an athletic event. Having the muscles ready and active limits injuries resulting from overloaded stress on muscles that are tight, and reduces muscle cramping issues from sudden energy demands that the body was not immediately prepared for. Warming up increases body temperature, which increases the elasticity of your muscles and improves your range of motion.
Increasing Mental Focus and Reaction Time
According to the National Strength and Conditioning Association, warming up before activity increases mental cognition, responsive focus and reaction time. Readying your mind and reaction to stimulus for the game is essential when a split second can be all the time available you have to get open, catch a ball and shoot, for example. Basketball is a fast and responsive game that demands top-notch focus and game awareness to succeed, and performing a warm-up prepares the mind for just that through heightened senses. The heightened senses are a result of stimulating the sympathetic nervous system, reports Gerard J. Tortora, author of "Principles of Anatomy and Physiology."
Final Preparation
A warm-up before the game also gives you an opportunity to work on your shot and talk over plays. You can work on finding the locations you feel you can hit the most shots from and run through plays. This can help your confidence going into the game and get you into the groove to execute well.
References
- "Principles of Anatomy and Physiology, 11th edition,"; Tortora, Gerard J., Derrickson, Bryan
- "Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning,"; Baechle, Thomas R., Earle, Roger W.; 2008
- "Advanced Fitness Assessment and Exercise Prescription, 5th ed." Heyward, Vivian H.
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