No matter what conditioning regimen you use, be sure to utilize these basketball stretch exercises to loosen your muscles and prevent injury.
Why is stretching so important? For an athlete to be successful, the muscles must be able to go through a wide range of motions.
Any good stretching program will improve your range of motion of the joints you work on.
You’ll see increased flexibility, as well as an increase with your quickness, in your over-all performance.
This includes improving your recovery time, speed and power.
You’ll also realize a decrease in back problems, various sprains, strains, soreness and stiffness.
Basically, you’ll reduce the probability for getting injured.
How many times have you seen a player injured because they decided that a good basketball stretching program wasn’t necessary?
It’s amazing what a few minutes invested in stretch exercises will do for your health and physical condition.
Note – Be sure to get checked out by your doctor before starting any stretch exercise regimen.
For each stretch exercise below, the idea is to loosen a specific part of your body, prevent injury to your muscles and help to improve your flexibility.
Do all the basketball stretching exercises slowly and be sure not to stretch to point of feeling any pain.
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Static Basketball Stretching Exercises
What’s a static stretch? Very simply, a stretch that you hold in place for a fixed period of time. (As opposed to dynamicstretching, which we’ll get to in a moment)
It’s a good idea to hold your stretches for about 15 to 20 seconds or so. Ease into each one slowly until you feel a good stretch. Don’t push until you feel pain; just get a good, comfortable stretch.
Do each 15 to 20 second exercise three times. It’s important to be on a consistent stretch exercise regimen. Do it 5-7 times per week.
Basketball Stretch #1) Right Leg Straddle
Stand in a straddle position with your knees bent slightly and your toes pointed out at 45°. Bring your chest toward your right knee by bending slowly from the waist and being sure to keep your back straight. Do this until you feel a comfortable tension in your hamstring. Your hamstrings, gluteals and lower back (erector spinae) will be stretched.
Basketball Stretch #2) Middle Leg Straddle
Stand in a straddle position with your knees bent slightly and your toes pointed out at 45°. Bend forward from the waist and touch your hands to the floor in front of you; back straight. Do this until you feel a comfortable tension in your hamstring. Your hamstrings, gluteals, lower back (erector spinae) and thigh abductors (thigh muscles that spread the legs apart) will be stretched.
BB Stretch #3) Left Leg Straddle
Stand in a straddle position with your knees bent slightly and your toes pointed out at 45°. Bring your chest toward your left knee by bending slowly from the waist and being sure to keep your back straight. Do this until you feel a comfortable tension in your hamstring. Your hamstrings, gluteals and lower back (erector spinae) will be stretched.
Basketball Stretch #4) Side Lunge
Stand in a straddle position, face forward, slowly lean to your left while keeping your back straight and your feet at 45°. Try not to lean forward. Keep your left knee from moving past your left foot as you point the toes of your right foot upward. Hold this for 15 seconds, switch legs then repeat the stretch exercise twice more. This will work on your hamstring and thigh abductors.
BB Stretch #5) Iliotibial Band Stretch
While standing, place your left leg over your right leg. Lean over a support such as a table or counter and bend at the waist. Bend your left knee as you slide your right leg out and away from your body, keeping the right knee straight. As you do this, bend your body toward the right leg. Hold 15 seconds, switch legs, then repeat twice. Stretches the hip abductor/flexor, gluteals and lower back (erector spinae).
Basketball Stretch #6) Groin (seated)
Your groin is the area inside the top part of your legs. Sit down with your knees bent outward and bring the bottom of your feet together. Perform this stretch exercise by moving your knees toward the ground.
Basketball Stretch #7) Supine Hamstring
Begin by lying on your back with both legs bent. Bring your left leg toward your body and keep it straight by holding it with both your hands. Hold like that for 30 seconds and then do the other leg. Also helps the calves.
BB Stretch #8) Lying Knee Hug
Lie down with your shoulders flat against the floor, legs straight and bring the small of your back in contact with the floor. Pull your left knee up to your chest and stretch the gluteals and lower back. Hold 15 seconds, stretch the other leg, then repeat twice.
Basketball Stretch #9) Sitting Piriformis Stretch
Lie down on your back so your back and shoulders are touching the floor. Cross your left leg over your right knee so your left ankle rests on your right knee and pull your right leg slowly forward. Hold 15 seconds, then do with the opposite leg. Stretches the hip and gluteals.
BB Stretch #10) Lying Crossover
Lie on the floor with your legs extended out to the sides, lift up your right leg and lower it across your body so it rests close to your left hand. Keep your shoulders flat. Hold 15 seconds, then stretch with your left leg and repeat twice. Stretches the gluteals, obliques and erector spinae.
Basketball Stretch #11) Sitting Hip Rotation
Sit with your back as straight as possible and keep your left leg straight as you twist your body to the right and place your right hand behind you. As you do this, cross your right leg over your left leg. Use your left arm to push gently push your right knee until you feel your torso and hip being stretched. Hold 15 seconds, switch legs and repeat twice. Stretches the gluteals, erector spinae (lower back) and spinal rotators.
Basketball Stretch #12) Lying Quadriceps
To stretch the muscles on the front side of your legs above your knees, start on your stomach with your legs spread apart just a bit. Bend your right knee back, reach back with your right hand and move your leg toward your back. Hold 15 seconds. Do the same with the left leg, then repeat twice.
Basketball Stretch #13) Standing Quadriceps
While standing, balance with your left hand on a wall, grab your right foot near the toes with your right hand and pull your leg back to stretch the quads. Hold 15 seconds. Do the same with the left leg, then repeat twice.
Basketball Stretch #14) Forward Lunge
Stand, then lunge forward with your right foot while being sure to keep your knee from going beyond your foot. Stretch your hip flexors and quadriceps by pushing the hip of your straight leg forward. Hold 15 seconds. Do the same with the left leg, then repeat twice.
BB Stretch #15) Calf
For this exercise stretch, start by facing the wall and leaning forward with both hands on the wall. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and your left foot in front of your right foot. With the heel of your left foot just a bit off the ground, keep your right foot flat on the ground and lean forward to stretch your calf muscle. Hold 15 seconds. Do the same with the left calf, then repeat twice.
You can stay in this position and also stretch your Achilles tendon (the thick band behind your ankle). While bending your right knee slightly, lift the heel of your right foot. Do the same with the opposite leg.
Dynamic Basketball Stretching Exercises
We mentioned dynamic stretching earlier. Dynamic stretch exercises are said to “wake muscles up” so they’re ready for much harder work. This type of basketball stretching helps you transition from static stretches to actual competition. It helps further your range of motion.
BB Stretch #16) Joints
Start with your hands on your hips. Rotate your head in a circle to loosen your neck muscles. Do this in both directions. Then move your upper body in circles, both with your hands on your hips and with your arms extended out to your sides. This will loosen your hip muscles. Do the same with your wrists and ankles.
Now move your feet about shoulder width apart, keep your feet on the ground and move your knees in a circular motion. This will loosen the muscles located around your knees
Basketball Stretch #17) Leg Swings Forward and Back
Support yourself on a wall or rail with your right shoulder perpendicular to the support. Swing your leg forward so it’s close to parallel with the floor, making sure your trunk and lower back are rigid and don’t bend. Your knee should be bent slightly. Now swing a controlled backward swing. Be careful, swinging the leg too hard may result in injury. Perform 10 reps, switch legs, then repeat. Works your hamstrings, gluteals and hip flexors.
Basketball Stretch #18) Leg Swings Side to Side
Stand about 3 feet from a solid object (wall or rail), knees bent slightly and swing your right leg out to your right side. Now swing your leg across your body to the left until your feel a stretch in your hamstring. Check that you are minimizing the amount of movement through your lower back. Perform 10 reps, switch legs, then repeat. Works your hamstrings and abductors.
Basketball Stretch #19) High Knee Step
Alternately drive both knees in a high upward motion toward your chest. As you do this, bend the arm on your straight leg side and swing the other arm behind you. These should be aggressive arm movements. Keep your heels down and toes raised upward. March about 20 yards, then repeat.
Basketball Stretch #20) High Leg Reach
Start performing the “High Knee Step” exercise. When your knee comes to the high point, extend your leg outward, then finish by aggressively extending your leg back down.
Alternate this dynamic stretch exercise with both legs as you move forward about 20 yards or so. Then repeat.
Basketball Stretch #21) Carioca
While you move laterally, swivel your hips so your right leg crosses over your left leg. Next, side-step with your left leg then cross your right leg behind your left leg. Do this quicky about 20-30 yards, then go the other way, leading with your other leg.
Basketball Stretch #22) Backward Stride
Run backward. Make sure each step is extended. Stride. Do this about 25-30 yards, then repeat.
Basketball Stretch #23) Heel Kicks
Run forward aggressively, flexing your knees and trying to touch your gluteals with your heels. Keep your toes pointed as you move your heels toward your gluteals. Keep your thigh perpendicular to the floor. Do this about 20 yards and then repeat.
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