MIAMI - Some people do Pilates to jumpstart their day. Others, in the evening to unwind. JJ Redick does them on the bench during NBA games.
Redick dealt with back issues earlier in his career. He got the go-ahead to lie on the floor instead of the bench during games starting in the lockout season.
Redick incorporates different Pilates exercises to prevent tightness.
"I do the hundreds," Redick said. "I do some rolling like a ball. There's a sort of abbreviated versions of series of fives, so I kind of mix it all up."
Redick also uses a foam roller when he's on the sidelines. After 12 years in the NBA, the 33-year-old Sixers shooting guard understands his body.
"If you lay down on the hardwood floor for 15 to 20 minutes you can get stiff," he said. "It was just a way to stay loose and keep everything activated."
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Redick is aware of what it takes to play his 31.4 minutes, and over 28 for the last six seasons. He works in specific drills during his pregame warmups as well as right before he checks in the game. Redick can be seen quickly running in place when he gets to the scorer's table.
"I usually do it if I've been on the bench for four-to-six minutes of game time," Redick said. "Sometimes that can be 20 minutes of real time. I just use it to sort of wake up. It's more of a neurological thing than a muscle thing. It's just getting all the synapses firing."
These exercises help Redick stay firing on the court. He is averaging 16.7 points and shooting 40.8 percent from three as a key piece in the Sixers' playoff push.
