Agility hurdles are used by sportsmen and athletes to improve a variety of fitness attributes. Power, agility, speed and coordination can all be improved using hurdles. Some agility hurdles are height-adjustable; others are not. For safety, select agility ladders that easily topple over if they are knocked over; otherwise, users may suffer injury from tripping. You can perform a number of exercises using agility ladders. Because of the high-impact nature of these exercises, wear well-cushioned, supportive shoes to minimize the risk of injury.
Two-Footed Jumps
To develop explosive leg power, place five to 10 hurdles out at about three-foot intervals. Stand with your feet together and your hands by your sides. Swing your arms backward and then forward while simultaneously leaping up and forward over the first hurdle. Immediately upon landing, spring into your next jump and continue until you have cleared all hurdles. When performing this exercise, try to minimize ground contact time by imagining the ground is hot. You can make this drill more or less challenging, depending on the height or number of hurdles you use.
Sideways High Knee Running
To develop leg speed and coordination, stand sideways next to a run of 10 hurdles placed about two feet apart. Start running on the spot. Lift your knees up to hip height and pump your arms. Once you have established your rhythm, start moving sideways and stepping over the hurdles, ensuring your knees are high and your torso upright. Continue down the run of hurdles until you have cleared them all. Walk back to the beginning and repeat the exercise but facing the other way so that you lead with the opposite leg.
Lateral Jumps
Lateral jumps develop explosive leg power, anaerobic endurance, agility and coordination. Stand with your feet together next to a single hurdle. Bend your knees into a quarter squat position and swing your arms backward. Swing your arms forward and jump up and sideways over the hurdle. Upon landing, immediately spring into another jump to return to your starting position. Repeat for a set number of repetitions, say, 20--or a predetermined length of time--say, 45 seconds.
Hurdle Hops
To develop single-leg power, place five to 10 hurdles at about three-foot intervals. Stand at the beginning of the run on one leg. Using a double-arm swing action, hop up and over the hurdles until you clear the entire run. Walk back to the beginning and repeat but using your other leg. Minimize ground contact by imagining the ground is hot. Perform this for as many sets as desired. You can make this exercise more challenging by increasing the height and quantity of hurdles used.
References
- "High-Performance Sports Conditioning"; Bill Faran; 2001
- "Complete Conditioning For Rugby"; Dan Luger & Paul Pook; 2004
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