Love the Hoops Tournament? Grab a Ball and Try These Moves
| 3 min read
This month kicks off the college basketball tournament, which makes for some pretty exciting television. But rather than sitting on your couch and just watching the games, get inspired by what you see and hit the courts yourself! You can work on your shooting skills, play a game of HORSE or use the ball to freshen up some classic exercises. Here are five moves to get you started:
Basketball burpees: Every rep works your arms, chest, quads, hamstrings and abs. Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding the basketball in front of your chest with your elbows by your sides. Squat down and place the ball on the floor. Place your hands on the ground on both sides of the ball and shoot your legs back into a plank position. Immediately jump both feet back up towards your hands, grab the ball and jump straight up, extending the ball over your head. Try repeating for 30 seconds at a nice, controlled pace.
Bridge ball: This move isolates and strengthens the gluteus and hamstrings. Lie face-up on the floor with knees bent and the basketball under your feet. Slowly lift your hips towards the ceiling until your shoulder blades lift up off the floor. Hold that position for about 10 seconds before lowering your hips back down the floor. Try repeating 15 times.
Basketball push-ups: Perform a push-up, but instead of placing your hands on the ground, put them on top of the basketball and lower yourself down until your chest touches the top of the ball. The balancing act will challenge your core in a new way. Make sure to keep your core as straight as possible so that you don’t dip your lower back. Start with 10 reps and increase the quantity for more of a challenge.
Russian twists: This move hits your obliques and burns calories. Sit on the ground with your knees bent. Grab the basketball and lift your feet a few inches off the floor. Lean back slightly so that your abs get engaged and begin rotating your torso from side to side, touching the ball to the ground next to you with each twist. Try it 20 times.
Basketball sit-ups: Lie face-up on the ground with legs straight. Grab the basketball, keep your elbows tucked in by your sides and begin to lift your upper body until you’re sitting up. Slowly lower yourself back to the floor. Start with 20 reps and increase that number for more of a challenge.
If you love the idea of turning your favorite games into workouts, check out these other blogs:
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Photo credit: Cyron
