MODULE 5

AGILITY, BALANCE, SPEED, STRENGTH, COORDINATION EXERCISES

INTRODUCTION:
Agility is one of the key components of fitness and is valuable in many sports and physical
activities. It’s one of the most important qualities when you are practicing sports or any other
physical activities. Speed and agility drills are common in football, basketball, soccer, hockey,
rugby, volleyball, martial arts, and many more.
You will be required to perform physical exercises to improve your physical fitness and take note
of the results. It is important to make the activities fun and enjoyable to make exercise a habit for
life.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:
At the end of this module, you should be able to:
1. Know the different Agility Exercises.
2. Perform Agility Exercises with accuracy.
3. Enhance Agility.

Topic 1: Different Agility Exercises

Agility or nimbleness is an ability to change the body's position efficiently, and requires the
integration of isolated movement skills using a combination
of balance, coordination, speed, reflexes, strength and endurance. Agility is the ability to change
the direction of the body in an efficient and effective manner and to achieve this requires a
combination of
 balance – the ability to maintain equilibrium when stationary or moving (i.e. not to fall over)
through the coordinated actions of our sensory functions (eyes, ears and the proprioceptive
organs in our joints);
 static balance – the ability to retain the center of mass above the base of support in a
stationary position;
 dynamic balance – the ability to maintain balance with body movement;
 speed - the ability to move all or part of the body quickly;
 strength - the ability of a muscle or muscle group to overcome a resistance; and lastly,
 coordination – the ability to control the movement of the body in co-operation with the
body's sensory functions (e.g., in catching a ball [ball, hand, and eye coordination]).
This is according to https://www.brianmac.co.uk/agility.htm

Agility Exercises:
1. Ladder Exercise 1:
 Begin by standing sideways to the ladder (Fig 3a)
 Moving laterally to your right, step into the first square with the right foot (Fig 3b)
 Step in with the left foot (Fig 3c)
 Step back out with the right foot (Fig 3d)
 Step back out with the left foot (Fig 3e)
 Repeat the sequence from 2 to 5 along the ladder
2. Ladder Exercise 2:
 Perform the drill in a sideways position to the ladder (Fig 4a)
 Moving to the right, place the right foot into the first square (Fig 4b)
 Next, step across the ladder with the left foot (Fig 4c)
 Remove the right foot from the ladder placing it next to your left foot (Fig 4d)
 Now, step forward into the second square with the left foot
 Next, step across the ladder with the right foot
 Remove the left foot from the ladder placing it next to your right foot
 Repeat the sequence from 2 to 7 along the ladder
MACKENZIE, B. (2000) Agility [WWW] Available from:
https://www.brianmac.co.uk/agility.htm

3. Single leg lift:

 Stand erect with feet close together.
 Keeping your head straight take a deep breath and slowly lift your right leg off of the floor.
As you become more confident with the position bring your leg higher so that your knee
is as close to your chest as you can comfortably manage.
 If you wobble and lose your balance, simply begin again or use your opposite arm to assist
your balance.
 Repeat with your left leg.

4. Single leg side lift:

 Stand with feet close together.
 Again, keep your eyes and head forward, steady your body and mind with a deep breath
before lifting your right leg slowly to your side.
 Take care to keep your body erect as you lift your leg. In other words, lift without leaning.
 Repeat with your left leg.
https://www.fitness19.com/best-5-balance-exercises-2/

5. Balloon Hockey:
Using a balloon instead of a small bean bag or “hacky sack” slows down the rate of fall, making
this an easier exercise, though the balloon’s lightness can be a bit more unpredictable when
you hit it strongly.
Work on finessing your movements to keep the balloon up in the air and play with the
positioning of your foot and body. Again, different positioning changes the exercise entirely,
so work from standing, squatting, kneeling, and on your back.

6. Balloon Tossing:
This fun partner exercise has you catching and bumping the balloon back and forth with each
other using your hands, heads, and other body parts.
Change the angles and speeds to keep it unpredictable, and try starting out facing different
directions or work on standing closer together or further apart. You’ll see, this game can be a lot
more challenging than it looks.
https://gmb.io/coordination/
7. Lateral Lunges
Starting Position
Begin by standing with your feet shoulder width apart, hands on hips.

Action
INHALE: Step out to the right and shift your body weight over your right leg, squatting to a 90
degree angle at the right knee. Try to sit down with your butt, keeping your back as upright as
possible.

EXHALE: Push off and bring your right leg back to the center to complete one rep. Finish all reps
on the side, and repeat on left side to complete one set.

Special Instructions
Keep your weight on your heels and make sure your knees don’t go over the plane of your toes.
Hold your arms out in front of you to help with balance.

8. Wall Sit
You can perform this exercise anywhere you have access to a flat wall.
 Start with your back against a wall with your feet shoulder width and about 2 feet from
the wall.
 Engage your abdominal muscles and slowly slide your back down the wall until your
thighs are parallel to the ground.
 Adjust your feet so your knees are directly above your ankles (rather than over your
toes).
 Keep your back flat against the wall.
 Hold the position for 20 to 60 seconds.
 Slide slowly back up the wall to a standing position.
 Rest 30 seconds and repeat the exercise three times. Increase your hold time by five
seconds as you increase your strength.
9. Side Plank:
 Lie on your right side, legs extended and stacked from hip to feet. The elbow of your
right arm is directly under your shoulder. Ensure your head is directly in line with your
spine. Your left arm can be aligned along the left side of your body.
 Engage your abdominal muscles, drawing your navel toward your spine.
 Lift your hips and knees from the mat while exhaling. Your torso is straight in line with
no sagging or bending. Hold the position.
 After several breaths, inhale and return to the starting position. The goal should be to
hold for 60 seconds. Change sides and repeat.

10. Push up

Get on the floor on all fours, positioning your hands slightly wider than your shoulders.

Extend your legs back so that you are balanced on your hands and toes. Keep your body
in a straight line from head to toe without sagging in the middle or arching your
back. You can position your feet to be close together or a bit wider depending on what
is most comfortable for you.
 Before you begin any movement, contract your abs and tighten your core by pulling
your belly button toward your spine. Keep a tight core throughout the entire pushup.2
  Inhale as you slowly bend your elbows and lower yourself until your elbows are at a 90-
degree angle.
 Exhale as you begin contracting your chest muscles and pushing back up through your
hands to the start position. Don't lock out the elbows; keep them slightly bent.

Learning Activity 5:
Perform each exercises. Warm your muscle before stretching them by doing at least 5-minute
low-intensity activity such as walking or marching in place. Start each stretch slowly. Stop if you
feel pain. Concentrate on using proper form as you stretch. Hold each stretch for 15-30 seconds.
Do not bounce. Stretch at least 2 to 3 days a week and before and after exercising.
Create a 10minute instructional video presentation performing the different flexibility exercises.
Be creative. You may submit the video of your performance through FB messenger or GC account.

SUMMARY OF KEY CONCEPTS

Agility, Balance, Speed, Strength and Coordination exercises are skill-related fitness. It is fitness
that conditions the body or specific muscles for a primary goal of improving a skill.

REFERENCE/S
https://www.brianmac.co.uk/agility.htm
MACKENZIE, B. (2000) Agility [WWW] Available from: https://www.brianmac.co.uk/agility.htm
https://www.fitness19.com/best-5-balance-exercises-2/
https://gmb.io/coordination/