Agility is our body’s ability to be fast and nimble, change direction, and change the positioning of our body - while our body is actively in motion. For some athletes, this is easier said than done. However, agility training can help to improve the skills, which result in enhanced athletic performance.
Regardless of the sport you play, speed and agility are essential to taking your athletic performance to the next level. The benefits of agility training benefits not only improves athletic performance, agility also improves our daily movement. Whether you want to build explosive power, increase speed, improve recovery times, or simply want to improve balance, agility training is important for maintaining athletic performance.
Which Sports Benefit from Agility Training Exercises?
Agility exercises benefit athletes in any sport that requires movement! That’s right, whether you are moving on the field, the ice, or the balance beam - you will benefit from agility training.
Whether you’re training for strength, endurance, or a combination of both, every athlete will benefit from improved balance, quicker feet, and faster reaction times. Adding agility training into your training routine can benefit:
- Football players
- Soccer players
- Baseball players
- Softball players
- Tennis players
- Volleyball players
- Basketball players
- Hockey players
- Gymnastics
- MMA fighters
- Wrestlers
- And more
Benefits of Agility Training for Athletes
1. Injury Prevention
When was the last time you pulled a muscle in your lower back due to an improper lift position? Or the last time you tore a ligament in your knee due to a simple misstep? Unfortunately, these injuries are all too common in athletics. Many avoidable sports-related injuries occur when our body falls out of alignment while we are in the middle of dynamic motion (i.e. jumping, running, or lifting).
Agility training improves flexibility, balance, and control. Agility helps the body to maintain proper alignment and posture during movement. Additionally, agility drills encourage our body to learn how to maintain correct body placement. With proper agility training, sensitive areas such as the lower back, shoulders, and ankles are protected while moving quickly.
2. Increased Cognitive Function
Agility training helps more than the muscles in your body. According to a recent study managed by the Air Force Research Laboratory, as cited in Men’s Health, agility training can improve your cognitive performance. Participants in the study, all military personnel, were divided into two groups for six weeks of training. One group participated in the military's standard physical training program (i.e. jogging with jumping jacks, and burpees). The second group participated in programs that included agility drills (i.e. ladder drills, shuttle runs, etc.).
According to the study, “after six weeks, the first group increased their endurance. On the other hand, the group performing agility training improved their VO2 max, athletic footwork, memory, and concentration.” Agility training includes components of learning, focus, balance, and coordination. This type of training stimulates richer connections among multiple brain regions by directing them to work together. At first, your responsive movements may feel forced. However, with practice, they will become more natural.
3. Improve Your Coordination and Balance
Agility training encourages our body to improve balance during dynamic movement. When we regularly practice hand-eye coordination, fast stops and starts, and agility speed drills, it trains our body to work as a cohesive unit. When our body is working in sync, our movements become more fluid, resulting in smooth, coordinated transitions.
4. Improve Your Recovery Times
We've all been there. An intense conditioning session can leave you with sore muscles and depleted energy levels the next day. However, the bursts of movement incorporated with agility training, when practiced over a sustained period of time, help to build the strength of our musculoskeletal system. A stronger musculoskeletal system can lead to shortened post-workout recovery times.
Try More Agility Training Drills
Agility Training with VertiMax
Regardless of your sport, VertiMax 8 Platform elevates an athlete’s ability to generate force faster to create a more competitive athlete at any level. Designed to quickly develop a dominant athlete, VertiMax radically improves acceleration, deceleration, and vertical jump capabilities. Once you combine your agility training with the VertiMax system, they'll be no stopping you!
Contact a member of our team to learn more about how VertiMax can improve your agility and speed.
