When you think of agility training you immediately imagine some of the top athletes aiming to gain performance benefits for their given sport, but recent research suggests that this style of training can also benefit older individuals. Simply being active isn’t enough to gain long lasting health benefits for aging individuals especially as it relates to preventing injuries related to falls. Research points out that 33% of folks 65 years of age and older fall and adding in decision-making skills combined with change of direction, sudden stops and starts as well as acceleration and deceleration can be crucial for preventing injuries (Donath et al., 2016).
Our goal should be to challenge ourselves at least 45 minutes per session spread out between 2-3 workouts per week with a routine that includes the following components:
- Strength (muscle endurance and power)
- Balance (static and dynamic)
- Agility (Acceleration, deceleration, cuts and rotations)
- Conditioning (Interval and steady state- keeping HR between 65-85% max)
- Flexibility (ankles, hips, thoracic, neck, wrist and shoulders)
Some examples of an agility component in your training session are below:
- Lateral Cone Shuffles– Set a timer for :30 and see how many cone touches you can do while adding circles around the cones also for added difficulty
2. Cone Compass Drill- See how quickly you can navigate
3. Hurdle High Knee Series- See how quickly and efficiently you can move around obstacles
4. Ladder In & Outs- Cutting and lateral direction
5. W-Drill Cone Shuffles- cutting, change of direction and spacial awareness
Use these exercises as tools to help prevent injuries related to falls. Set goals while having fun throughout the process. Working out for at least 45 minutes 3 days per week while including components of strength, balance, agility, conditioning and flexibility are some of the best ways to achieve the results you want.
Reference:
Donath, L., Van Dieen, J., & Faude, O. (2016). Exercise-based fall prevention in the elderly: What about agility? Sports Medicine, 46(2), 143-149. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-015-0389-5