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What are Agility Exercises
According
to the dictionary (http://en.thinkexist.com/dictionary/meaning/agility)
the meaning of agility is, "the quality of being agile; the power
of moving the limbs quickly and easily; nimbleness; activity; quickness
of motion; as, strength and agility of body." Sheppard and Young (2006)
describe agility as "a rapid whole movement with change of velocity of
direction in response to a stimulus."
In simple
words, agility means the ability of the body to react swiftly and with
high precision. This is a very important trait in any athlete's physical
make-up and hence forms a vital part of his/her training regimen. These
exercises are also applicable for non-athletes as well, since agility is
a trait that comes in handy for everybody. Household chores would need
agility, running on a crowded trail would require agility, dodging a car
on a high traffic road would require agility and so on.
For an
athlete it is often critical that their body reacts well and without
hesitation. Agility tests usually help to improve quickness and
precision. The most common agility exercise consists of the agility
ladder. This includes drawing a ladder pattern on the floor with
the person maneuvering himself/herself in certain patterns without
stepping on the lines drawn. Some other popular agility exercises are:
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The hexagon exercise,
which is very similar to the ladder exercise.
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Rope skipping at various
speeds.
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Running in a zigzag
formation while avoiding the cones.
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Hi-stepping with emphasis
on speed.
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Running in a T-pattern
while involving all types of movements – backwards, forward, lateral
and forward.
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The Illinois agility
test, in this test the athlete would be required to complete a very
complex woven course running at the highest possible speed, without
knocking down any of the cones.
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Shuffle drill, this is
very similar to the Illinois test, but not as complex; the cones
would be placed at varying distances and the course has to be
completed running both forward and backward.
A Few
Critical Points for Agility Training
Agility
training is actually training to move fast laterally. In order to test
yourself and measure your agility the following matters need to be taken
into consideration:
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Check how much strength
you have on a single leg, to stop and restart movement; this is one
of the critical aspects to agility, which would enable the athlete
to cut off at top speed and start again without any effort.
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Ability to decelerate,
can you bring yourself to a halt from the top speed whenever you
want? The ability to 'apply your brakes' when you want it and get
the body to react in a proper manner.
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Stability of the landing:
are you able to land with stability with the least possible notice
to the mind and body.
These three
aspects are most critical to the overall concept of agility and those
who master these would indeed be in advantageous position against their
competitors. While training one should be careful to:
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Complete the drill without touching any cones; it is not
as important to complete it quickly as it is important to complete it
correctly.
·
Build a rhythm and everything will make sense to your feet
(you may like to use the old trick of saying in your mind "in-in-out"
while training and see whether you can pick up the right rhythm.
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Use your arms always, unless the arm movements are totally
integrated with the foot work you will never score big with this type of
training.
Where
Would Agility Exercises Be Most Helpful?
Though
agility exercises can benefit everyone, it definitely adds a cutting
edge to the overall physical readiness of an athlete. The improvement in
agility will definitely improve the performance of any athlete in any
sport. Whether it is soccer, boxing, tennis, baseball, football – you
name it, agility exercises will help improve the overall performance.
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