What Is Agility?
If you are agile, you can accelerate and put on the breaks to change direction in a blink of an eye. You can make quick movement changes multidirectionally, multiple times, continuously, and it at will (or even by subconscious reaction to what is going on around you). This is agility.
Changes in directions are decided quickly, and often automatically. Therefore, the body must be able to respond immediately. Agility requires the muscles to contract quickly for you to align your body at the best angles to change directions, and agility requires that you have good body integrity to remain injury-free through it all. Moving well in zigzag patterns or any combination of multidirectional, unpredictable patterns is considered agility. Agility places a great demand on the body, and it is a great way to train and a wonderful thing to master.
As one of the Five Components of Fitness, agility is a distinctive motor quality, and it can be optimized through proper agility-specific training.
What Are Some Examples of Agility?
Imagine a tennis player, a basketball player, or a dancer performing at peak levels, and then imagine that agility transferring to real-life situations where quick movement and abrupt changes in directions are desired or even necessary: playing a pick-up game of basketball on a Saturday afternoon, a game of tag with the grandchildren, or jumping out of the way of an on-coming car. Agility can add quality to your life and, as in the last example, may even save your life!
How Is Agility Measured?
Because agility involves multidirectional movement and quick acceleration and deceleration, it makes perfect sense that those elements be combined to form the test for measurement. A great test that incorporates the above criteria is the T-Cone Drill. This drill also requires quick footwork and proper body alignment.
The T-Cone Drill is an effective assessment tool, and the abrupt starts and stops, in multiple directions, make this a great stand-alone exercise. The drill distributes appreciable forces through the entire body, a desirable training effect that is experienced in other weight-resistance exercises.
You Should Have Agility!
- Agility allows you to accelerate, decelerate and change directions quickly.
- Agility stimulates fast-twitch muscle fibers.
- Agility increases function and maintains youthfulness.
- Agility allows you to enjoy many facets of life.
- Agility helps you get out of trouble through quicker motor responses.
- Agility requires great muscular contraction forces.
- The muscular work of agility burns a lot of calories.
- Agility helps you lose fat and manage weight.
Training for agility is challenging and fun.
