The Ultimate Agility Drills For Men Over 40 - Men's Health Magazine Australia

The Ultimate Agility Drills For Men Over 40

Moves that build speed, reaction time, and conditioning.
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Agility is defined as the ability to move quickly and easily and most of us who are over 40 know that movement can come with a grunt and an ache.

Good agility requires the ability to safely decelerate, reorient, and reaccelerate in as little time as possible while maintaining good posture and movement mechanics.

While helping with overall flexibility, balance and control, agility training can help prevent injuries that occur while doing other exercise, sport or movements in everyday life, whether you’re doing chores or chasing after kids, says the National Fitness Manager from Genesis Health + Fitness, Sam Merza.

Rather than just walking on a treadmill or pushing some weights, boost your workouts with some of these agility drills from Sam:

  • Skipping

Simple and effective, skipping is a great way to improve your leg strength, timing, body awareness and even foot and hand strength. Trying to increase your speed is not the only way to improve skipping, try going for longer and then start changing up your footwork to really feel the benefits

  • Sprinting – Directional Changes

When moving at pace you may have momentum in one direction, but change your angles and you will soon find a new level of challenge. Set up the cones with a 10m straight, then branch off left and right for 10m then a final straight. Run this track with a different angle and direction each time.

  • Ladder runs

Most gyms will have an agility ladder or ‘hoops’ to step into. The goal here is quick feet so you will be stepping in and out of the ladder as you move up and back. Start slow and then pick up pace as you improve and feel move confident.

  • Mini Agility Circuit x 2

Complete these exercises for the reps shown for each:

  1. Lateral Shuffle with a touch and jump. 4reps each side. Staying low, side step 3-4 times, then touch the floor and jump to the sky. Cushion the landing and then shuffle back the other direction and repeat.
  2. Sit throughs – 10reps. Start in a push up position, bring your left foot to your left hand flat on the ground, bring your hips under and push your right foot through while your left hand comes up above your head. You will now be almost sitting with your bum hovering off the floor, Bring your leg back through and repeat on the other opposite side.
  3. Push up with T-Turn – 10reps. Complete a normal push up and then rotate your arm through to the sky so your body is like a T shape braced on one arm. Control the return and then swap sides.
  4. Bounding with Run Back – 6 bounds, repeat 3 times. Jump forward and land with soft knees – repeat 3-5 times then turn and sprint back to the start. To advance this movement use a single leg to drive forward and catch on the opposite leg, and then repeat jumping forward from leg to leg.

You can add any of these moves into to your normal workout to get the body firing and improve your balance, agility and body awareness.

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