Basketball Exercise Therapy
An Introduction
by Fotis Liolis
There are two ways the body can move; the right way or the wrong way. Most people are born perfectly in the way they move and breathe. Babies breathing and movement patterns are perfect while they are learning to walk and explore in those early years.
As they reach that age when they begin to communicate and become aware of their surroundings, they develop personalities and begin to mimic those closest to them and those natural movements and breathing patterns they were born with begin to deteriorate.
An elite few will maintain their original qualities and become naturally gifted athletes and be fitter, faster and stronger than the rest. The other kids subsequently face an uphill battle to develop skill and coordination and to become fit, healthy and strong. A common health problem that people face are attributed to every day physical routines that are carried out with incorrect posture, coordination and breathing.
The problem then becomes that when young kids (7-8 years or older) decide to play sport, it’s often difficult to correct developed abnormalities as their basic movement patterns and their ability to control these patterns through breathing have been lost and they are then forced to re-learn or develop the necessary skills in their chosen sport. In this situation, kids face an uphill battle to change whats already imbedded in their muscle memory. When incorrect techniques become initially established as the preferred way of moving, it eventually leads to pain, injury and discomfort through repeated movement patterns in their daily lives. This often leads to incorrect techniques being taught and once these bad habits set in, they then become very difficult to re-correct and re-train.
Innovative Sports Concepts recognises this and believes the problems should be addressed early. Unfortunately, health, fitness and fun are promoted through sports and exercise, but very little (if any) attempt is made to ensure the correct techniques are being used.
The simplicity of the truth is that there are seven movement patterns that operate on three planes and we should be taught to recognise and accept these as an integral part of our quality of life.
We should be taught the correct way of using each of these patterns for optimal efficiency and learn the importance of correct breathing to guide us in our daily lives. Only this way can we achieve a higher standard of living, live as pain free as possible and reach the limits in our potential.
Basketball Exercise Therapy focuses on three major aspects
- Pathway of Instantaneous Center of Rotation (PCIR) – The optimal movements required for basketball which will carry into everyday life. The PCIR also provides a focus that looks at correct movement to prevent undue stress on the body.
- Fingertip Control – This looks at targeted strengthening to gain maximum dexterity output in carrying out the vast range of skills in basketball.
- Mirror training – Focuses on the benefits of being ambidextrous.
Pathway of Instantaneous Centre of Rotation (PICR)
Basketball Exercise Therapy is a medium that can teach an optimal method of movement using all seven patterns. Basketball is the only sport that uses all seven patterns with a wide variety of skills in a confined space that is used on the court. When a player is dribbling, passing and shooting they are using all seven movement patterns. Such is the range of motion involved. By perfecting the range of basketball skills, you therefore perfect the seven movement patterns. In terms of the three planes that the movement patterns are based on, the ball has to travel around the body and the body has to travel around the ball. Further details regarding the movement patterns and the planes are outlined in phase one of the training programme.
Finger Tip Control
A basketball is controlled by the fingers. Every finger is connected to nerves, tendons and muscles that are connected to the forearms (Ulna and Radius) and the Humerus bone which is connected to the shoulder joint and then to the Scapulars and Lumbar Spine. The Lumbar Spine is connected to the hips and the hips are connected to the lower limbs. If the fingers are tight or weak, this will affect the rest of the body.
This is similar to someone playing a guitar, piano or any instrument that is played with the fingers. You can create music through basketball. Each finger is individually trained through coordination, flexibility and strength and each has a role, individually and as a unit to perform the required tasks.
Basketball therefore exercises the fingers individually like no other sport. Fingertip control is pertinent to dribbling, passing and shooting. These are intertwined with the seven patterns and the many different skills carried out through basketball are done with both hands. This makes us ambidextrous and teaches us how to maintain postural alignment and a neutral spine in all three planes.
Mirror Training
Mirror training is about using your favoured hand (right or left) to develop your weaker hand. What one hand can do can guide the other hand to do also. As one hand improves, it forces the other hand to also improve. When the weak hand is mimicking the dominant hand, the initail stages require slow movements with breathing control so that muscle memory is developed with repitition of the motion required by a particular skill. Ambidexterity supports good posture, balance and coordination. This is ‘true balance’.When both hands (and arms) can execute correct movement through skill and technique, then you develop a more balanced brain functionality and have greater suppleness through internal control of the body and enhance your well-being.