Basketball has been some part of my life, big or small, since I was very young. I’ve never been any good at it really, but that’s another story. As an early teen I would go to the elementary school playground in the morning and not return until it was dark. Summers came and went, meals were missed, and I can still hear my Mom yelling my name from the back porch as the sun went down.
There was a fairly long stretch from about 19 years old until 25 that I actually didn’t play as often as I now wish I had. Maybe it was discovering the world of programming that stopped me from getting onto the court. Maybe it was getting married at an early age, and dealing with the responsibilities that brought, that gave me the excuses I needed not to take the time to play. Or, perhaps as I gained more and more weight I just didn’t feel up to it.
But I’ve come to realize something I consider very important. After gaining, then losing, gaining a little, and now on my way to getting back to my goal weight again – I’ve learned that basketball is an essential part of my healthy lifestyle.
My MeToday video from June 6, 2007 (view)
When I play basketball regularly I’m able to stay in pretty good shape. I feel good. I’ve got energy. My outlook on my own health, and my goals for good health, remains high. When I do not play basketball very regularly, I keep my same eating habits, and end up gaining weight. Put simply, basketball is one of the very few forms of exercise that I truly enjoy doing.
I suppose that ultimate frisbee could also be a supplemental form of exercise for me, but I don’t get the chance to play that nearly as often, and I’ve only just started playing it a few summers ago. Ultimate, as it is often called, is a really fun sport and a great way to get cardio exercise – if you haven’t tried it, I recommend it. You can see how frisbee helped me during my diet. While you’re at it, you might as well see how basketball helped me on my diet too.
Now, at 27 years old, I’m playing basketball at least a few times a week when I’m in my normal routine. I’m loving it. Sometimes I really do not feel like playing but I always feel so much better after I’ve done so. I’m looking forward to losing a few more pounds, maybe gaining a few centimeters on my vertical jump, and playing some of the best basketball of my life.
Do you have a sport you love?
8 Comments
Yep. And it’s basketball!
So much fun
But netball rocks too!
And lately I’ve been getting into rock-climbing. That stuff is *addictive*!
Most definitely basketball. My childhood was spent the same, either at a local court or my own driveway. If it got too dark , I had spotlights. And, much like you, once I got married and had other responsibilities I found myself playing less and less. However, I have found that it really is my only form of exercise lately (as I live in snowy cold Ohio), so I have been playing whenever I get a free chance.
Getting out and playing basketball helps me clear out my mind, especially after a busy day of programming.
I love most sports and split my time between volleyball, a little basketball, skiing, and biking. But it’s biking that really shifted how I live my life. It started innocently enough when I bought a bike to bop around town on, then I was doing multi-modal commuting on it, then I started doing longer rides. Last summer I added a road bike to my bike collection, and that was it — now I’m one of the crazies. Just last night a fellow biker and I were laughing about how hard it is to make ourselves lift weights or do other cardio (when there’s not snow on the ground) because we’d so much rather hop on our bikes and quickly find ourselves ten miles out of town.
Lachlan: Excuse my ignorance and lack of time to Google, netball? I tried rock climbing a few times (not the real thing, but the fake stuff) and it is really, really hard.
Nicole: I wish I had a good bike! I do have a cheap mountain bike that I’ve used maybe three times… but I am thinking seriously about picking up a pair of new bikes this summer and getting some good rides in. It is also something I did as a kid a lot, and have lost in my adult life. Might be because I live in an apartment too.
Thanks for stopping by!
Nate: Wow, your life is a mirror image of my own then? I live in PA and it is the only exercise I can seem to get in the winter. I had a gym membership last year, but I didn’t use it enough to warrant the expense this year.
Maybe we’ll play someday?
I love basketball as well, but I would have to say it definitely lost some of it’s appeal as I got older. I think I would much rather play football, volleyball, frisbee, or racquetball than basketball if I was given a choice. However, for convenience basketball is a great and fun way of maintaining a healthy weight. I look forward to getting back on the court again soon.
I love tennis and volleyball. I grew up playing tennis and picked up volleyball during my college years. Unfortunately, I haven’t had much time to play either sport that much because of work.
Like you, I’ve come too realize without playing sports, my health and weight has turned for the worst. I need to find time to incorporate volleyball AND tennis back into my life regularly so I can get back into shape.
Edwin: That’s the spirit! Me too!
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