You ever lace up your shoes, hit the court, and wonder if basketball is more than just a game? Could it also be a high-intensity cardio workout? Well, my friend, you’re not alone in that thought. And I’m here to tell you, it sure can be!
After doing intensive research, I concluded the following:
Whether basketball is good cardio mainly depends on the intensity and duration of play. Casual shooting may not qualify, while a competitive game involving constant movement likely constitutes high-intensity cardiovascular exercise.
But hold on. There’s a bit more to it. Stick with me as we dribble through what cardio actually means, how basketball fits into the picture, and even how it squares up against other popular forms of cardio, like running. Trust me, this is going to be interesting.
Let’s define CARDIO before we begin
So, cardio is a word we hear tossed around the gym all the time. But what does it mean exactly? Cardio, short for cardiovascular, is any activity that increases your heart rate and keeps it elevated for a certain amount of time.
Now, why is cardio important? Well, it’s all about your heart health. Cardio exercises strengthen your heart and lungs, improve your blood circulation, and even reduce stress and anxiety levels. That’s why doctors and fitness experts always harp on about getting enough cardio – it’s essential for a healthy lifestyle.
There’s a common myth that cardio means long, grueling hours on the treadmill or an intense spin class. But that’s not the full picture. Cardio can be anything that gets your heart rate up – from dancing and swimming to, yes, even playing a full-court game of basketball.
For example, imagine you’re playing a pick-up game with your friends. You’re moving continuously, sprinting, dodging, and jumping to make those epic baskets. That’s your heart rate going up, and that, my friend, is cardio in action.
When is basketball a good cardio
Basketball becomes a good cardio when it’s played at a pace where you’re constantly on the move. This could be during a competitive game or even an intense practice session. The key is to maintain a level of intensity where your heart rate is consistently elevated. That’s when basketball transitions from just shooting hoops to an activity that gives you a cardiovascular workout.
Let’s picture a typical basketball game. You’re sprinting up and down the court, guarding your opponent, and jumping to make those slam dunks. All this activity keeps your heart rate high for an extended period, which is exactly why most NBA players have a low body-fat percentage.
Another scenario could be a vigorous training session where you’re doing repeated drills – sprinting, dribbling, shooting – that get your heart pounding. In these situations, basketball becomes a fantastic form of cardio.
Since cardio is such a broad term, even less intense activities like shooting baskets can provide a cardio workout for some folks. You see, the intensity of a cardio workout is relative to a person’s fitness level.
For example, let’s take someone who is just starting on their fitness journey or perhaps recovering from an injury. For them, the physical exertion involved in shooting baskets, moving around the court, retrieving the ball, and then shooting again can be enough to increase their heart rate significantly.
I remember when I was in my bodybuilding days. Just light shooting for 15 minutes would make my heart explode. So, don’t underestimate the value of shooting hoops. While it might not match the intensity of a full-court game, it can be a beneficial form of cardio for someone less fit or less mobile. Remember, the best cardio is what you do and enjoy doing!
Other basketball health benefits include improving balance, coordination, and developing concentration and self-discipline.
When basketball is not a good cardio
Okay, so we’ve talked about when basketball is a great way to get your calories burned. But are there times when it might not be the best choice for a cardio workout? You bet there are.
The effectiveness of basketball as cardio can really depend on how you’re playing the game. If you’re just casually shooting hoops with long breaks in between, your heart rate might not get high enough or stay elevated long enough to give you a proper cardio workout. Remember, the essence of cardio is to keep that heart rate up consistently.
Also, if you’re prone to or recovering from injuries, especially ones related to joints like ankles or knees, basketball might not be the ideal cardio choice for you. The game can involve sudden, high-impact movements like jumps and quick directional changes, which could potentially exacerbate existing injuries.
For example, picture a laid-back game of H-O-R-S-E where you’re taking turns shooting from different spots. There’s not much running or intense activity, so it’s not giving you the same cardio benefits. Or, if you’ve got a bum knee and competitive game results in a hard landing from a jump, you’re risking a worse injury. In these cases, basketball might not serve as the best form of cardio for you.
Recommended reading: Soccer Is Harder Than Basketball, Here’s Why
Does basketball burn more calories than running?
The number of calories you burn in any exercise depends on several factors, like your weight, fitness level, and activity intensity. A heavier person or someone working at a higher intensity will burn more calories.
Running is pretty straightforward: the faster or further you run, the more calories you burn. Conversely, basketball involves various movements like jumping, sprinting, and even lateral movements that engage different muscle groups.
So, if we compare moderate jogging to a competitive basketball game, you could burn more calories playing basketball due to the varied movements and bursts of high intensity.
Let’s look at a few examples. A person weighing around 155 pounds will burn approximately 300 calories jogging for 30 minutes at a moderate pace of 5 mph. That same person could burn around 300-350 calories playing a competitive basketball game.
Now let’s take both male and female examples. Here is some data we were able to pull from this proven calorie calculator.
180 lbs male
| Activity | Calories burned in 30 min | Calories burned in 1h |
| Shooting baskets | 177 kcal | 354 kcal |
| General basketball | 256 kcal | 512 kcal |
| Standard running (5 mph) | 332 kcal | 653 kcal |
140 lbs female
| Activity | Calories burned in 30 min | Calories burned in 1h |
| Shooting baskets | 133 kcal | 266 kcal |
| General basketball | 192 kcal | 384 kcal |
| Standard running (5 mph) | 245kcal | 490 kcal |
However, if we compare an intense run to a casual game of shoot-around, running might burn more calories. So again, it really depends on the intensity and how you engage in the activity.
Is basketball considered HIIT?
High-Intensity Interval Training is where you alternate between intense bursts of activity and brief recovery periods. It’s all about pushing your heart rate up high and then letting it recover, then doing it all over again.
So, can we consider basketball HIIT?
Well, I would say not in most cases, but it depends on how you play the game. Think about a competitive basketball game. There are moments where you’re going all out, sprinting down the court for a fast break, or leaping for a rebound. Then, there might be a pause in the game where the intensity drops – a free throw, a timeout, or even just a break in the action.
Achieving the sweet spot for HIIT, where your heart rate is revved up to 85% or more for a duration ranging from 15 to 45 seconds, is a bit tricky when playing basketball. The limited length of a basketball court might not allow enough time for your heart rate to climb that high, unless you’re just beginning your fitness journey or have been out of the game for a while.
Additionally, basketball’s high-intensity moments, like sprinting, can be sporadic. You might go all-out for a quick 5 seconds, then find yourself playing defense or guarding an opponent for 45 seconds or even longer. This sort of pattern, with short bursts of intensity followed by relatively longer rest periods, doesn’t quite fit the bill for an effective HIIT workout.
However, despite its inconsistency, basketball still has the edge over activities like walking or Low-Intensity Steady State (LISS) exercises when it comes to mimicking a HIIT workout. Even though it might not be a perfect fit, basketball can still offer more of those heart-pounding moments compared to more sedate activities.
But for basketball to truly mimic a HIIT workout, the periods of high-intensity activity should be pushing you close to your maximum effort, and they should be followed by short periods of lower-intensity activity or rest. An example could be a drill where you sprint full court and back, then shoot free throws, repeating this cycle several times.
