Aerobic Fitness for Basketball Players
Basketball requires running for extended periods of time; therefore, your players must be able to produce energy aerobically. However, although basketball players need to be aerobically fit, they do not need to be distance runners. Be balanced in your approach to fitness. Set standards, yet do not place fitness ahead of the ultimate goal of developing good basketball players and a good basketball team. A fit, skilled team is much more powerful than a fit, unskilled team. Aerobic fitness has three primary benefits:
- Creates good cardiovascular capacity and strengthens muscles and tendons
- Allows players to run at a steady pace without incurring oxygen debt, getting really tired and being unable to recover
- Allows your players to recover quickly from short sprints, making them more effective in the game
Aerobic fitness is best developed during preseason training. However, if your schedule cannot be extended to include fitness in the preseason, you can integrate fitness exercises and activities into your weekly training sessions. This can be achieved through steady pace runs, ball skill drills or fitness circuits. For more information on general fitness, please refer to the
Athlete Nutrition, Fitness and Safety section in the general coaching section.
Sample Aerobic Fitness Activities
Steady Pace Runs
These runs are slow, continuous long-distance running. They can last for 20-30 minutes. You can add variety to these runs by having your players run with the ball through cones and around benches or defenders. Also, encourage athletes to run on their own at home with friends or family. Many families will welcome the invitation to involve siblings or friends in regular jogs.
