05:11
Faizan
When you play basketball, you need to be able to maintain an upright position whether or not you’re moving. The game requires balance and counterbalance, demanding the constant adjustment and stabilization of your body. If you can’t stabilize your body, your joints absorb extraneous motion that can lead to injury as well as hinder your performance. Core training, or stabilizing exercises, can strengthen your abdominal muscles and lower back. These muscles help you to bend, extend and twist your torso while maintaining proper body alignment.
Abdominal Muscles
Abdominal exercises should work trunk flexion, or bending your body forward toward your hips and legs, as well as hip flexion, or moving your legs toward your body. They should also include rotational work in which you turn your trunk right and left. For example, a beginning abdominal exercise is a standard crunch. Progress to a weighted crunch – an intermediate version of the exercise in which you hold a weight plate or medicine ball on your chest. To further increase the intensity, begin the crunch in a seated position and have a partner toss a medicine ball to you. Catch it and lower your trunk to the floor. Curl your body up with the ball. When you reach the seated position, toss the ball back to your partner using a two-handed chest pass.
Lower Back
The types of movements that lower-back exercises should include are trunk extension, or moving your body backward toward your hips and legs, and hip extension, or extending your hips and moving your legs backward toward your body. For example, a back extension can be performed on a stability ball. Lie face-down with your stomach on the ball with your toes planted on the floor. You can also have a partner hold your feet. Lift your trunk until your body is straight and slowly return to starting position.
Total Core
You can perform exercises that blast your entire core -- abdominal muscles, hips and back. For example, one of the most effective exercises that will blast your total core is a plank. An intermediate exercise is a rotation with a partner and a medicine ball. Have a partner stand about 2 feet away from you with his back to your back. Bend your elbows, keeping your arms by your sides. Hold a medicine ball with your right hand on the bottom left side of the ball and your left hand on the upper left side. Twist to your right to hand the ball to your partner, who twists to the left at the same time to receive the ball. Twist to your left to receive the ball from your partner, who twists to his right to pass the ball to you. Perform the rotations as quickly as possible for 30 to 90 seconds.
Combining Resistance and Instability
When you play basketball, you rarely stand still with feet planted on the court. If you perform resistance exercises with an elastic band while on an unstable surface, your core muscles activate to stabilize your body. These exercises better simulate game conditions. For example, stand on a balance board. Place an elastic band under your heels. Run the band along your back, holding the ends with both hands behind your head. Bend your elbows at 90-degree angles and position them by your ears. Your forearms should be almost parallel to the floor and pointing behind you. Slowly stretch and shorten the band behind your back while balancing your body on the board.
Abdominal Muscles
Abdominal exercises should work trunk flexion, or bending your body forward toward your hips and legs, as well as hip flexion, or moving your legs toward your body. They should also include rotational work in which you turn your trunk right and left. For example, a beginning abdominal exercise is a standard crunch. Progress to a weighted crunch – an intermediate version of the exercise in which you hold a weight plate or medicine ball on your chest. To further increase the intensity, begin the crunch in a seated position and have a partner toss a medicine ball to you. Catch it and lower your trunk to the floor. Curl your body up with the ball. When you reach the seated position, toss the ball back to your partner using a two-handed chest pass.
Lower Back
The types of movements that lower-back exercises should include are trunk extension, or moving your body backward toward your hips and legs, and hip extension, or extending your hips and moving your legs backward toward your body. For example, a back extension can be performed on a stability ball. Lie face-down with your stomach on the ball with your toes planted on the floor. You can also have a partner hold your feet. Lift your trunk until your body is straight and slowly return to starting position.
Total Core
You can perform exercises that blast your entire core -- abdominal muscles, hips and back. For example, one of the most effective exercises that will blast your total core is a plank. An intermediate exercise is a rotation with a partner and a medicine ball. Have a partner stand about 2 feet away from you with his back to your back. Bend your elbows, keeping your arms by your sides. Hold a medicine ball with your right hand on the bottom left side of the ball and your left hand on the upper left side. Twist to your right to hand the ball to your partner, who twists to the left at the same time to receive the ball. Twist to your left to receive the ball from your partner, who twists to his right to pass the ball to you. Perform the rotations as quickly as possible for 30 to 90 seconds.
Combining Resistance and Instability
When you play basketball, you rarely stand still with feet planted on the court. If you perform resistance exercises with an elastic band while on an unstable surface, your core muscles activate to stabilize your body. These exercises better simulate game conditions. For example, stand on a balance board. Place an elastic band under your heels. Run the band along your back, holding the ends with both hands behind your head. Bend your elbows at 90-degree angles and position them by your ears. Your forearms should be almost parallel to the floor and pointing behind you. Slowly stretch and shorten the band behind your back while balancing your body on the board.
