I love playing basketball, and I'm sure I'm not the only one around Clatsop County who also loves to play ball. Aside from twisted ankles or a dislocated thumb here and there, I have found some health benefits to playing basketball in an open gym on the NW Oregon Coast: We play basketball in an open gym 3 times per week for roughly 70-90 minutes with moderate intensity. This will help reduce your heart disease risk and potentially help lower your blood pressure.   I'm not a light guy, but I have lost weight when I'm regularly playing basketball. In fact, I have enjoyed my best weight loss while playing a lot of basketball.   As we age, it's common to lose some of our cat-like reflexes. Basketball helps keep your brain on its toes while it continues to help you maintain balance and coordination. Granted, early morning basketball has its share of 'ugly ball,' but overall, it helps keep us going.  Over the years, basketball has helped me in more ways than I ...