| As an athlete, you should always be looking | | | | team sports. Increasing the speed of all of |
| for ways to (legally) enhance your | | | | your movements, from walking/moving, to upper |
| performance. Runners will work out their | | | | body/arm movements, gives you an increased |
| legs, baseball players will work out their | | | | chance of avoiding what needs to be avoided |
| core muscles and upper body, but all athletes | | | | and pouncing on opportunities as they present |
| should work on their speed and agility. | | | | themselves. |
| | | | |
| Most athletes will need to work on a few | | | | Drill exercises, such as jumping from one |
| basic areas: | | | | portion of the ground to another or running |
| | | | through moguls, will increase your |
| Flexibility No, you may not be a gynmast, | | | | coordinated speed. |
| but having extended levels of flexibility | | | | |
| will give you an edge over your competition. | | | | Reaction Training yourself to shorten your |
| Keeping your muscles stretched and flexible | | | | reaction time is one of the best ways to |
| will allow you to make more natural | | | | increase your agility. Learning to react as |
| movements, without fear of injury or | | | | quickly as possible will help you avoid |
| cramping, as well as commit to movements that | | | | income strikes, obstacles, or attacks. A |
| are a bit unconventional or strenuous. | | | | quick reaction time will also allow you to |
| | | | recover and counter faster. |
| No one expects you to gain the flexibility of | | | | |
| a Ninja overnight, but working on your | | | | You can train your reaction time by testing |
| physical limits will eventually increase | | | | it. Have a friend hold a stick below your |
| them. | | | | hands. When they drop it, try to reach down |
| | | | with your hands and grab it before it hits |
| Exercises that emphasize stretching and | | | | the ground. |
| flexible resistance are key to developing | | | | |
| flexibility. | | | | Remember that agility is more than one |
| | | | element- is the the machine that is made up |
| Speed A big portion of being agile is your | | | | by the individual components, and by |
| speed. Being able to move quickly and | | | | increasing the capabilities of one you are |
| effortlessly is important in most combat and | | | | increasing the performance of the other. |