7 Agility Exercises to Improve Your Speed and Strength

Agility is the ability to change direction, accelerate, or decelerate quickly, all while maintaining balance and control of your upper and lower body. Agility training programs use a variety of bodyweight exercises to improve your athletic performance, reduce your risk of injury, and build total-body strength. Agility exercises target muscle groups in the lower and upper body, including the abdominals, quads, hamstrings, hip flexors, and glutes. Beginners can easily practice agility training as part of a home workout routine.

There are several notable benefits to practicing agility training.

1. 1. Agility exercises can improve your athletic performance. By focusing on your footwork, agility training helps build speed, explosive power, and coordination. Agility drills are designed to improve your foot speed and change of direction, which can greatly bolster your athletic ability.
2. 2. Agility exercises can reduce your risk of injury. Practicing agility workouts can help improve your ability to decelerate and reorient on a dime. This can help you react quickly and efficiently to avoid injury in sport or daily life.
3. 3. Agility exercises deliver an efficient cardio workout. Much like high-intensity interval training (HIIT), agility training quickly and efficiently raises your heart rate to boost your cardio, burn calories, and promote total body wellness.

Consider some of the best agility exercises you can incorporate into your workout routine.

1. 1. Skater jumps: Skater jumps, also known as single-leg skater jumps, are a plyometric exercise. Perform the skater jump exercise by standing with your feet hip-width apart. Make a lateral jump movement by extending your right foot and jumping to the side. Swing your right arm in front of your body and your left arm behind with a speed skater movement. Land softly on your right foot and repeat this movement with the opposite leg, jumping side-to-side for the desired number of repetitions.
2. 2. Shuttle run: The shuttle run is an agility cone drill. Place two cones about twenty-five yards apart from each other. Sprint from the first cone to the second and immediately back again. Repeat six to eight times. Switch up the exercise by moving laterally while performing high-knees between the cones, or backpedal from the second cone to the starting cone.
3. 3. Lateral plyometric jumps: Lateral jumps are a plyo exercise that uses your bodyweight to work muscles throughout your entire body. Perform lateral jump exercises by beginning in a standing position with your feet hip-width apart. Bend your knees and hips to lower yourself into a quarter-squat position. Perform an explosive vertical jump with a lateral movement to your side. Repeat this jump toward the opposite side and continue this movement back and forth for the desired number of repetitions.
4. 4. Agility ladder drills: Ladder drills, also known as agility ladder drills and speed ladder drills, are a form of high-intensity interval training using bursts of energy combined with brief periods of rest. Perform ladder drills by placing an agility ladder on the ground. Stand on one end of the ladder. Run the length of the entire ladder with your feet landing in the center of each box until you get to the opposite side. Make a sudden change of direction and run back to the other end of the ladder.
5. 5. Plyometric box drills: Box jumps are a plyometric exercise that targets your lower body muscles, including the glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves. Perform the box jump by making a vertical jump up to a box or elevated surface. Land softly from your jump on the balls of your feet, then evenly distribute your weight along each entire foot. With proper form, this jump training exercise can add cardio into your strength-training workout routine.
6. 6. Dot drills: Dot drills are speed training drills that are designed to build speed and quickness. There are many variations of dot drills, but a basic dot drill involves taping several small X's in a figure-eight pattern on the floor. Using explosive power, keep your upper body straight while moving your feet in rapid succession to follow the pattern on the floor. Repeat the pattern three to six times, then sprint forward to a predetermined mark to complete the drill.
7. 7. T-drill: The T-drill is a popular speed drill. Set up four cones five yards apart from each other in the shape of a T. Explode forward from the bottom starting cone to the top middle cone. Backpedal to the starting position, then explode forward, back to the top middle cone. Quickly cut left or right. Cut around the left or right cone and sprint to the cone furthest away in the opposite direction. Cut around that cone and return to the top middle cone. Cut around the top middle cone and return to the starting position. Repeat six to eight times, alternating the direction with each rep.

If you have a previous or pre-existing health condition, consult your physician before beginning an exercise program. Proper exercise technique is essential to ensure the safety and effectiveness of an exercise program, but you may need to modify each exercise to attain optimal results based on your individual needs. Always select a weight that allows you to have full control of your body throughout the movement. When performing any exercise, pay close attention to your body, and stop immediately if you note pain or discomfort.

To see continual progress and build body strength, incorporate proper warm-ups, rest, and nutrition into your exercise program. Your results will ultimately be based on your ability to adequately recover from your workouts. Rest for 24 to 48 hours before training the same muscle groups to allow sufficient recovery.

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