"Agility"

agility: the power of moving quickly and easily; nimbleness

Who wouldn’t want to be a superhero? Even if their alter-ego was not the most popular, seemingly not the brightest or most attractive, once they came out of that phone booth in their superhero costume, everybody loved them! Even though they might have dropped their books or tripped down the stairs in their regular form, it was always an act; they were never clumsy.

Good agility is key to their success and is also important in truly meeting your fitness goals.

Agility is the ability to move quickly and change directions while maintaining control and balance. Good agility requires a combination of speed, balance, power and co-ordination.

Try some simple exercises to improve your agility, improve your reflexes, range of movement and become generally more athletic.

The Flash: Speed

A simple test of foot speed and agility, this activity gives an indication of the amount of an athlete’s leg muscle twitch.

Using a flat, non-slip surface, a stopwatch and some long sticks (or a 20 rung rope ladder if you have access to one), run the following course.

Start by placing the sticks about 18 inches apart (or lay down the rope ladder evenly). Start running from one end to the other without touching the sticks or rope. Start timing yourself when the foot first touches the ground between the first and second stick. Stop timing when you finish. Rest for two minutes and repeat until fatigued. Track your improvement by watching your time and number or repetitions.

Catwoman: Balance

Start by placing a towel, cone, or other object two to three feet in front of your feet. Place your feet together, hands on hips, and your torso upright. Lift your right foot off the floor and balance on your left leg. Attempt to keep the right foot off the floor throughout the exercise. Begin reaching your right hand forward toward the object in front of you, allowing your left knee to bend. Continue reaching until your hand is a couple inches above the object on the floor. Pause for one second at this point. Return to an upright position, maintaining your balance on the left leg.

Repeat this exercise about ten to fifteen times.

Hulk: Power

Place your towel flat on the ground and then put the medicine ball in the centre of the towel. Bring the ends of the towel one at a time over the top of the ball as a “bag.” Start the exercise with your feet shoulder-width apart and your weight shifted on to your right foot.

Twist your body to the right with your hands grasping the ends of the towel and the ball positioned behind your right shoulder. While keeping your arms straight, swing the ball out away from your body toward the front and then to the left in a wide arc, while bending your legs and 'sitting' into a shallow squat position as the ball reaches the middle of the arc in front of you.

Continue this arc until you finish the swing with the weight shifted onto your left foot, with your hands still grasping the ends of the towel and the ball now behind your left shoulder. Immediately swing the ball back to the starting position, and repeat the swinging motion back and forth for a total of 10 to 15 repetitions on each side. Begin this exercise in a slow manner, and progress in speed (while still maintaining good control) over a period of several weeks. Perform two to three sets.

The Nightcrawler: Coordination


If you are not accustomed to running, start out by doing some jogging for a couple of weeks. Then, add zig zag running in between your regular runs. If you run on a track set up a course with cones that you can run between in zig zag motions quickly. Once you get used to the zig-zag running, use small objects (make sure they are not ones you could trip on!) to set up varied patters on a small course, such as numbers and letters (figure eight, an “S” shape, a cursive “E,” etc.) and see how fast you can improve your speed.

Good agility will not just benefit you in your workout routine, but in daily life by helping you prevent spills and injuries. No one likes a klutz!

Come into BOOTCAMP 619, get into great shape and find out what a “Spiderman” is!

"Quickness"

quick [kwik] : done, proceeding, or occurring with promptness or rapidity, as an action, process, etc.; prompt; immediate

In the last article, we talked about the word “speed.” It is easy to misunderstand the difference between this and “quickness.” “Quickness,” though an invented word, is something I like to use to refer to something that is a fast pace or something that requires agility.

Quick refers in particular to something that is practically instantaneous and can be an action or a reaction. It usually happens in a brief amount of time. For example, a quick run is different than a “fast” run. Both may be done at a high speed, but “quick” refers to one that is done in a short amount of time.

Quick Movement

The same is true for a motion during exercise. A repetition that occurs quickly will have a very different affect on the muscle than one that is slow. Multiple quick repetitions that occur over a short period of time will have a different affect on the muscle than a slow, extended repetition.

A slow, methodical repetition with a heavier weight will build muscle strength while higher, quicker repetitions at a lower weight may be more effective in building muscle size.

Quick Reflexes

A quick reflex is important in athletics and many other aspects of life. No matter how hard you can hit or how fast you can run, you may not be successful without a speedy reaction time. Muscle memory is the act of repeatedly training a specific movement to allow for a faster reaction. While training the muscle to move along a determined path, you are also training your brain to do the same. It’s the same with your daily activities – something that you do the first time is much harder than the hundredth time.

A Quick Workout

You may not be one of those people that can spend two hours a day in the gym. Even so, it is important to get the exercise you need to live a healthy lifestyle. Even if it means going to the gym or doing a jog on your lunch hour or on your way home from work, make sure to do it! Not only will you feel energized, but performing short, frequent workouts will help with that “speedy metabolism.”

Quick Temper

Relax. Exercise helps us manage our stress levels. Not only does it help us be relieving muscle tension, but it also creates the endorphins that make us feel good. Studies have shown that this is effective even in children. Sports and exercise have been proven to show children and adults a way to control their feelings. In children, it has been proven to reduce aggressive reactions and bullying.

The Quick and the Dead

Exercise promotes the good health that is necessary for us to live a long, happy life. Even if we have the genetics that will help us live to a ripe old age, what good is it if we don’t have the energy to enjoy it. More energy to do the things we enjoy, play games with our children, look and feel good. These are all positive benefits of a healthy lifestyle.

Come into BOOTCAMP 619 any day for a quick chat with Chris Keith on how you can begin to improve your life today!

"Speed"

speed: relative rapidity in moving, going, etc.; rate of motion or progress

Speed and velocity have two different meanings. Speed is the scalar quantity of how fast something is moving and can be thought of as the rate at which it covers a distance. Something that moves quickly has a high speed and covers a longer distance in a shorter amount of time. A slow moving object has lower speed and covers a relatively small amount of distance in a short amount of time. An object with no movement at all has a no speed. Therefore, the term “speed” does not just refer to something that is “moving quickly.”

Think of how the concept of speed relates to you exercise and fitness routine.

Lightning Speed

As we mentioned in the last edition, it requires high power to move something at a fast speed. For example, a strong push of the legs is needed to move the body into a sprint. These types of fast, forceful exercises will challenge the muscle in a different way than a slow and steady pace, generally resulting in strength. A movement at a slower, steadier pace will promote endurance.

Speedy Metabolism

It is important to keep the metabolism active. By eating smaller, more frequent meals and exercising at a regular rate, the body will keep in a fat-burning mode. Regular exercise is important in keeping the body this way. Skipping meals is also a bad idea. When you deprive your body of essential calories, it responds by slowing down your metabolism to conserve fuel. That means that it is important to never skip meals. Eat four small meals spaced evenly throughout the day.

Speed Exercises

There are a few exercises which are very good at promoting physical speed.

Hill and Stair Running: Hit every step on the first set and for the second set hit every other (repeat for a total of 6-10 sets during the beginning phase of your training)

Jumping Rope: The jump rope is an excellent way to develop explosive speed. T he jump rope is best used in sets under 1 minute in duration. You want to concentrate on barely touching the ground (with the balls of your feet) and then exploding upward.

Sand Running: San Diego is the perfect place to find great sand running spots. Try it and you won’t believe how good solid ground feels afterward!

Speed Racer versus Speedy Gonzalez

We love these guys because they love to go fast! However, Speedy Gonzalez definitely has it over Speed Racer. Get out of the car and run! There are lots of ways to get where you need to go. Rather than get in the car, get out and run, jog, walk or bike. The point is simple – make sure you use every opportunity you have to promote your own health and fitness. Opportunities abound!

Come visit us at BOOTCAMP 619 and join us in one of our workouts. You will be amazed at the “speedy results!”