Erm Agility
Speed and Agility Training
By Lee Merrien
If used and trained correctly improved speed and agility can benefit and enhance not only a sports specific program but also any individuals’ program whether the emphasis is general fitness, injury prevention, rehabilitation or even weight loss. Even if you’re not a sports person training speed and agility can add another dimension to your fitness regime and help injury prevention within everyday life. Attributes associated with Speed and agility are called into play everyday. Furthermore this type of training can bridge the gap between conventional resistance training and more functional work (be that sports specific or everyday specific) examples below which require elements of speed and agility… Sport examples … Ability to change direction quickly during a match. Ability to weave between players at speed. Ability to react quickly either to a command (i.e start gun) or a change in play. Everyday life examples… Rushing to get somewhere. Reacting to slipping on an unstable surface. Stopping or changing direction quickly to avoid bumping into something or someone. Granted that the above examples may not happen as regularly for some as its does for others but failure to recognise them at all means that when they do happen your body isn’t as prepared, this is a prime example of when injury can occur. Undoubtedly though speed and agility are two components of fitness which are very important to pretty much all sports! especially those where fast reactions, short burst of speed and sudden changes of pace or direction are involved. Match and field based sports are prime examples of where all three examples are used regularly. Whether you’re a footballer, cricketer, tennis player any activity which involves these attributes, specific speed and agility training will not only lead to improved performance and lower risk of injury but it will develop a more well rounder athletic ability within the individual. This type of
By Lee Merrien
If used and trained correctly improved speed and agility can benefit and enhance not only a sports specific program but also any individuals’ program whether the emphasis is general fitness, injury prevention, rehabilitation or even weight loss. Even if you’re not a sports person training speed and agility can add another dimension to your fitness regime and help injury prevention within everyday life. Attributes associated with Speed and agility are called into play everyday. Furthermore this type of training can bridge the gap between conventional resistance training and more functional work (be that sports specific or everyday specific) examples below which require elements of speed and agility… Sport examples … Ability to change direction quickly during a match. Ability to weave between players at speed. Ability to react quickly either to a command (i.e start gun) or a change in play. Everyday life examples… Rushing to get somewhere. Reacting to slipping on an unstable surface. Stopping or changing direction quickly to avoid bumping into something or someone. Granted that the above examples may not happen as regularly for some as its does for others but failure to recognise them at all means that when they do happen your body isn’t as prepared, this is a prime example of when injury can occur. Undoubtedly though speed and agility are two components of fitness which are very important to pretty much all sports! especially those where fast reactions, short burst of speed and sudden changes of pace or direction are involved. Match and field based sports are prime examples of where all three examples are used regularly. Whether you’re a footballer, cricketer, tennis player any activity which involves these attributes, specific speed and agility training will not only lead to improved performance and lower risk of injury but it will develop a more well rounder athletic ability within the individual. This type of