Play Ball!

How many people are constantly looking for a fun and exciting way to exercise? Well the search is over because I found the answer, Basketball! Basketball is an excellent and competitive sport as well as being extremely convenient and inexpensive. The equipment list is very short, a ball, a goal and of course yourself. So get up, and play some ball!

First off any good basketball player will tell you that you need proper attire before you just jump into a game. Take a trip to the local sporting goods store and get the proper gear. The shoes are most important so we'll look for these first. Every basketball shoe has good padding but you will also need to look for a shoe with sturdy ankle support. Sporting good stores carry hundreds of basketball shoes so you don't have to worry about a small selection. After you get the right shoes, you probably won't have to stray far to find a good pair of socks. Trust me get the thickest ones. It's easy from here grab a generic t-shirt and a pair of basketball shorts, check out and lets head to the gym.

Next, look up your local YMCA or parks gym and hop in the car, just make sure you remember the ball. When you arrive you'll most likely see a bunch of guys playing in a game but let's not get ahead of ourselves, you need to practice first. Get a partner and put up some shots and dribble around a bit. You'll get a hang of it after awhile but remember, practice makes perfect.

You've practiced and practiced, soon you will be ready to step into a game after you get the fundamentals down. Ask around and find out when they have pick-up games, a lot of guys come at the same time. Get into a game with people that you think are around your same playing level. Sure occasionally you'll run into that guy that had to have played in the NBA, but he probably didn't he just practiced just like you can. Once you get comfortable playing pick-up games you might want to look into league games. League games are usually played one or two nights a week and can get extremely competitive so pick your league carefully.

Playing and learning basketball is not a hard feat to accomplish but its a great way to spend time exercising as well as a very social game. Remember just like I said before practice makes perfect thus give it your best effort. So, the next time you decide to go home after work and play videogames instead grab your ball and head to the gym!