Agile as a cat

Agility is the ability to effectively and efficiently change the direction of your body. A dig in volleyball, a dive to return a sharp tennis volley, a spellbinding cut past a defender in football -- those moves require agility. But improving agility means addressing its four components -- balance, speed, strength and coordination.

I took quick, multidirectional moves for granted most of my organized sporting years until knee surgery in my late 20s and a recent blown achilles took the "a" out of my agility. Neither injuries bothered my balance or coordination much, but that knot of scar tissue around a repaired achilles tendon and a weaker post-surgical knee definitely compromised strength and speed. No wonder physical therapists had me working on an agility ladder, it's a terrific tool to improve a wide range of foot and body movement patterns.

If you'd like to work on your agility at home, you can buy a collapsible agility ladder or go cheap with a roll of masking tape, sidewalk chalk, remnants of moulding gathering dust in the garage or even a handful of straight sticks. Standard agility ladders measure ten yards long with 18" squares. Lay out your agility ladder on the driveway or a smooth, grassy area and start practicing. Check out these seven agility ladder drills -- master two to four before adding more. With practice, your competitors may just call you 'agile as a cat!' At the very least, agility ladder drills are a unique addition to your workout. Picture from www.onlinesports.com.