Forums >Cross Training>Does Basketball help running?
It's a good form of cross training ... assuming you make the effort to get up and down the court. Basketball requires a lot of aerobic endurance, and so long as you're not wearing yourself out with it in addition to your XC training, it's a fine way to spend your time.
The different motions required in basketball will strengthen muscles not used in running which is a good thing overall for injury prevention.
The process is the goal.
Men heap together the mistakes of their lives, and create a monster they call Destiny.
As a freshman in high school, don't get overspecialized. I think playing different sports will help strengthen muscles you wouldn't necessarily use in distance running, which will also help running by preventing muscle imbalances. I play ice hockey once or twice a week - its basically my interval workout and much more fun than being on the track. In addition I've corrected some outside of leg/inside of leg muscle imbalances that were causing me knee pain in the past when I wasn't skating and haven't had a problem since.
That said any sudden movement type of sport does increase your chances of injury, be it basketball, tennis, volleyball.
For the poster saying the best guys on his team had the best vertical leap - not necessarily true. Our #1 had a 1 inch vertical leap, our #2 guy probably less. I was #6 and could dunk, and our #3 started on the basketball team. It has nothing to do with how fast you are, its fast twitch muscle and vertical leg-push strength.
Arrogant Bastard....Ale
... Go Lakers!
This was an excellent post, up until this point.
running high-knees. It sounds fun.
I agree. Those are the best kind of hineys. (hinies?)