The Exercise Tool Every Senior Should Have
Today’s Topic Highlights:
The agility ladder, also known as the speed ladder, is one of the greatest hidden gems in all of fitness.
Exercising with agility ladders helps improve balance, coordination, cardio, brain hemisphere communication, and reaction speed. All of these areas tend to deteriorate with age unless otherwise intentionally addressed.
Another bonus of agility ladders is that they are very portable and travel well. The ladder folds in on itself and easily fits into small spaces.
Brain hemisphere communication is another area that agility ladders improve. Limb coordination ultimately comes down to the ability of the two hemispheres to communicate properly during gait.
The In-n-Out, Lateral Step, and Forward & Back are 3 excellent exercises you can perform with the agility ladder. There are dozens of additional exercises that can be performed once you master those three.
The agility ladder, also known as the speed ladder, is one of the greatest hidden gems in all of fitness. Exercising with agility ladders helps improve balance, coordination, cardio, brain hemisphere communication, and reaction speed. All of these areas tend to deteriorate with age unless otherwise intentionally addressed.
Agility ladders are known for training an individual’s SAQ - speed, agility, and quickness.
Speed = your ability to move in one direction as fast as possible.
Agility = your ability to accelerate, decelerate, and change directions.
Quickness = your ability to react or switch positions rapidly.
Each of these is applicable to the aging population, even though at first glance you may not get such an impression. The ability to accelerate, decelerate, change direction, and react on a dime is very important for fall prevention.
For example, imagine stepping out into an intersection to cross the street in your neighborhood. Perhaps a car you did not initially see or hear comes speeding around the corner. You have no choice but to take a step or two back, quickly, to get out of harm’s way. If your body cannot stop its forward momentum (deceleration) and quickly turn to change directions (quickness) in order to get back onto the curb you stepped off (limb coordination), there is a chance you may lose balance and fall.
Brain hemisphere communication is another area that agility ladders improve. Our brain is divided into two halves which are connected by the corpus callosum. We spend so much time camped out in our over-analytical left hemisphere these days that interactions between the two sides is often minimal at best. This is not just a cognitive issue - we need both hemispheres working in concert to move our bodies fluidly. Limb coordination ultimately comes down to the ability of these hemispheres to communicate properly during gait.
Another bonus of agility ladders is that they are very portable and travel well. The ladder folds in on itself and easily fits into small spaces. They come with their own carry bag fit to size as well. You can purchase one for under $25 through this link right here.
Below are 3 exercises that can be performed with an agility ladder. Keep in mind this is just a small taste of the nearly endless number of movement variations that can be done with ladders. For all ladder exercises, begin first by laying it out across the floor. Make sure it is completely straight from end to end, as see in the pictures.