Agility exercises are performed to develop speed in all kinds of sports.
They help develop and improve speed, agility as well as reaction time, speed of though and coordination.
Team sports like soccer and basketball and individual sports like tennis and badminton call for high levels of speed and agility incorporate these exercises as part of their training.
These exercises are performed at the start of the training session but after the warm up.
This is because these exercises require concentration and muscle control.
If they are performed after the training session the muscles are exhausted and make it difficult to perform.
Here are a few basic agility exercises even you can perform.
You will need open space and cones to use as markers.
1.
Figure Runs In this drill numbers are marked out using the cone.
A minimum of 3 figures are required.
Each person performs the figure once before moving on to the next one.
The exercise is made more sport specific by involving elements from the sport.
For example, soccer and hockey players dribble the ball around the cones, while football and rugby players run with the ball.
The figures can be set to varying distances so that greater distances need to be covered.
2.
Sprint Lateral Shuffle The cones are set up in such a fashion that it looks like steps.
The player starts from the first cone, sprints to the second and side steps to the third marker.
The player rests for a moment at the forth cone and then starts over again till the course is completed.
The payer turns so that he side steps on the other foot first.
3.
Box Sprint A box is marked out and cones are placed at the center and the corners.
Players stand at center and it is the starting point or the objective.
Each corner is given a name or number.
The coach calls a random name and the player must run to that corner and back.
The drill can be varied by adding more players and increasing the number of corners.
The agility ladder is one of the tools used in agility drills.
The agility ladder is a series of consecutive boxes.
The length of the ladder can vary depending on a number of factors but most ladders are 8 or 12 boxes long.
Here is a basic agility ladder drill you can perform at home.
First clear out space and draw 8 consecutive boxes (like on a sidewalk) on the floor.
The box should be large enough so that you can comfortably stand in.
you will probably have to increase the size of the boxes after you try out the drill after the first run.
This drill is called the Lateral Feet drill.
Start out by standing on the left side of the first square.
Step into first square with your left foot first, immediately followed by your right foot...
in a 1-2 motion.
Then step to the right and out of the square with your left foot first followed by your left foot.
Then step diagonally into the third square leading with the left foot first followed by the right foot.
Step out to the left side of the square and your back to where you started.
Repeat this for the rest of the ladder.
It will get easier as your muscles get used to the motion and your coordination improves.
Even people that do not play sport professionally can perform these exercises to improve their co-ordination and memory.
They help develop and improve speed, agility as well as reaction time, speed of though and coordination.
Team sports like soccer and basketball and individual sports like tennis and badminton call for high levels of speed and agility incorporate these exercises as part of their training.
These exercises are performed at the start of the training session but after the warm up.
This is because these exercises require concentration and muscle control.
If they are performed after the training session the muscles are exhausted and make it difficult to perform.
Here are a few basic agility exercises even you can perform.
You will need open space and cones to use as markers.
1.
Figure Runs In this drill numbers are marked out using the cone.
A minimum of 3 figures are required.
Each person performs the figure once before moving on to the next one.
The exercise is made more sport specific by involving elements from the sport.
For example, soccer and hockey players dribble the ball around the cones, while football and rugby players run with the ball.
The figures can be set to varying distances so that greater distances need to be covered.
2.
Sprint Lateral Shuffle The cones are set up in such a fashion that it looks like steps.
The player starts from the first cone, sprints to the second and side steps to the third marker.
The player rests for a moment at the forth cone and then starts over again till the course is completed.
The payer turns so that he side steps on the other foot first.
3.
Box Sprint A box is marked out and cones are placed at the center and the corners.
Players stand at center and it is the starting point or the objective.
Each corner is given a name or number.
The coach calls a random name and the player must run to that corner and back.
The drill can be varied by adding more players and increasing the number of corners.
The agility ladder is one of the tools used in agility drills.
The agility ladder is a series of consecutive boxes.
The length of the ladder can vary depending on a number of factors but most ladders are 8 or 12 boxes long.
Here is a basic agility ladder drill you can perform at home.
First clear out space and draw 8 consecutive boxes (like on a sidewalk) on the floor.
The box should be large enough so that you can comfortably stand in.
you will probably have to increase the size of the boxes after you try out the drill after the first run.
This drill is called the Lateral Feet drill.
Start out by standing on the left side of the first square.
Step into first square with your left foot first, immediately followed by your right foot...
in a 1-2 motion.
Then step to the right and out of the square with your left foot first followed by your left foot.
Then step diagonally into the third square leading with the left foot first followed by the right foot.
Step out to the left side of the square and your back to where you started.
Repeat this for the rest of the ladder.
It will get easier as your muscles get used to the motion and your coordination improves.
Even people that do not play sport professionally can perform these exercises to improve their co-ordination and memory.
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