Written by: Brian Kenney, General Manager, O2 Fitness Wilmington
If the thought of pedaling a stationary bike or walking on a treadmill brings about thoughts of medieval torture devices as you head to the gym, you are not alone. In fact, most members view cardio as a necessary evil instead of an enjoyable exercise. However, what if we told you that cardio training can be fun, increase performance and help you drop that extra ten pounds without once stepping onto a cardio machine?
Another Form of Cardio Fitness
Agility training is another form of cardio fitness that can be fun and create more helpful results for the body than simply increasing cardiovascular efficiency and decreasing body fat.
Weekend warriors and those simply racing through the daily grind can benefit from adding in a few agility training drills to increase performance.
Agility training teaches the body to start, stop and change direction quickly while maintaining proper posture. Agility challenges you to control your center of gravity over a changing base of support while changing directions at varying speeds. It is important to remember that we move at varying speeds and in various directions each day.
Improving Movement
Training to improve movement not only increases functional capabilities, but will help you avoid injuries by teaching the mind and body to work together and move at different speeds using the correct muscle at the correct time in the correct plane of motion. Agility training can provide numerous overall training benefits such as challenging your core, legs, balance, reaction capabilities, increasing your cardiovascular efficiency and best of all decreasing body fat.
Agility Work
Agility work can be done using cones, ladders or lines and is best performed on a basketball court, tennis court, grass field, Turf section at O2 Fitness or in the Group Fitness room. Performing agility drills on concrete is not advised and may be harmful to your body. Opt for surfaces that provide better control for short, quick movements and avoid surfaces that may have loose gravel or feel slippery. With agility training, the proper surface can make all the difference.
For more information regarding Agility Training Programs please contact an O2 Fitness Personal Trainer for a complimentary Fitness Assessment
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