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Agility definitions have traditionally centered around closed skill, change of direction speed movement. A classic definition is the ability to change the body's direction efficiently, and this requires a combination of balance, coordination, speed, reflexes, and strength.

Agility however must be in response to an opposing player, moving target, as seen in field sports and racket sports. Sheppard and Young (2006) define agility as "a rapid whole body movement with change of velocity or direction in response to a stimulus."

Aside from improving sports performance, why would an individual need to maintain or improve agility? Dodging requires agility, such as jumping out of the way of an oncoming car or avoiding an unexpected hole. If you ever need to run down a crowded street to catch a bus or escape an assailant, agility will help you avoid knocking yourself out on a utility pole or tripping over a dog leash.

Contents 1 Exercises 2 Tests 3 Journal 4 Books 5 External links

Many of exercises to improve agility involve an agility ladder. It is a ladder drawn on the floor, with the individual required to hop or high-step through the rungs with a variety of forward, backward and lateral motions. A person could also practice the tests of agility.

Briefly, some agility tests are timed performance of the following activities:

• hopping in and out of a hexagon across each side in a circular circuit.
• running a zigzag course, similar to slalom skiing.
• running back and forth laterally, like a rundown in baseball.
• running forward along the agility ladder.
• running a T pattern, with forward, lateral and backward segments.
• balancing on a single leg, like the yoga Stork pose.

Agility can also be improved by practicing yoga or doing exercises for the spinal cord. can test agility using Illinois agility test. (timed test)

SHEPPARD, J.M. and YOUNG, W.B., 2006. Agility literature review: Classifications, training and testing. Journal of Sports Sciences, 24(9), pp. 919-932.

Brown, Lee E., Ferrigno, Vance A., Santana, Juan Carlos (Eds.) (2000) Training for Speed, Agility and Quickness. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics. ISBN-0-7360-0239-1.[1]

• Topendsports: Agility Testing About agility testing with description of several tests
• Sports Coach
• Urban Fitness: Rapid Stair Climbs (Describing an everyday agility exercise)