The ladder is a low-cost piece of equipment that is easy to transport. Most ladders are made out of nylon side rails and plastic rungs, and are typically found in 5- and 10-yard lengths with the rungs spaced 18 inches apart. The ladder is a tool used by coaches and fitness instructors to teach balance, coordination and quickness. It is such a versatile tool that the exercises performed on it are only limited by your creativeness.
Hops
Stand on one foot with the ladder laid out in front of you. Keeping your chest and eyes up, hop into the first box. You should land on the ball of your foot, the broadest part of your foot just behind the toes, and in the center of the box. Quickly proceed through the rest of the ladder. Once you have finished the ladder on one foot, switch to the other foot for the next trip. If you want to emphasize speed, ground contact time should be minimal. If you want to work on balance, pause in each box for three to five seconds. Hops can be completed forward, backward, laterally and with turns.
Quick Feet Run
Run through the ladder with short quick steps. You should run through the ladder using normal mechanics, however your steps should be shorter so that you take two steps in every box. The emphasis should be on the quickness of your steps. Complete once stepping first with your right foot and once stepping first with your left foot.
Icky Shuffle
Stand facing the same direction as the ladder. You should position yourself just outside the first box next to the side rail. Begin by stepping the foot closest to the ladder into the first box. Then step the second foot into the box. Your feet should be side by side in the first box. Then step the first foot out of the ladder on the other side. The second foot then steps up the ladder into the next box. Bring the first foot back into the ladder so that it is beside foot two in the second box. Continue moving down the ladder with an in-in-out pattern. The body should move forward while making small quick lateral steps.
Hopscotch
Standing with the ladder laid out in front of you, straddle the first rung of the ladder so that your feet are outside yet very close to the ladder side rails. Then quickly hop both feet into the first box. You should land in the center of the box with your feet side by side. Quickly hop both feet outside the ladder again but this time you should end straddling the second rung. Continue hopping in and out of the ladder until you have finished the ladder. Hopscotch can be completed forward, backward or laterally.
Push-ups
Push-ups are one way you can use the ladder to develop the upper body. Begin in a push-up position perpendicular to the ladder, with your chest over the first rung of the ladder. Your hands should be placed one in each box on either side of the first rung. Perform a push-up by lowering your body almost to the ground and then pushing back up to the start position. To move down the ladder after each push-up, bring the back hand into the same box as the leading hand and then move the leading hand into the next box. Your feet should move along with your hands as you proceed down the ladder.
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