Progressive Agility and Trunk Stabilization Exercises

Agility and stabilization may seem like polar opposites, but in the world of sports and fitness they go hand in hand. Agility is defined as rapidly changing your body’s direction or speed ; stabilization is defined as the ability to control your trunk over your pelvis, resulting in no movement. Both of these variables are vital to your health and performance, and proper practice will result in agility and stabilization becoming second nature.

  1. Starting Agility

    • Since agility involves changing your direction or speed, your agility training should be very dynamic. A good dynamic warm-up will prime your body’s nervous system to begin agility training and warm your muscles, decreasing your risk for injury. Practice high-knee walking and skipping, followed by lunges and jumping jacks. These exercises may seem simple, but they are very effective in laying a foundation for future, more intense, agility exercises.

    Progressing Agility

    • As you progress, your agility training will increase in both speed and difficulty. Agility ladders, which are simply fabric ladders laid on the floor, are very popular among strength and conditioning coaches. You can execute a vast array of agility exercises using this one piece of equipment. Start facing the ladder, step into the first square with each foot, step outside of the ladder with each foot, and step into the next square. Repeat the sequence as quickly as you can, and work on increasing speed as you get better at the drill. Agility drills can also be done by skipping, and you can complete any exercise using one or both feet.

    Starting Stabilization

    • Abdominal bracing should be the main objective in your early stages of trunk stabilization. The belief used to be that “drawing in” your abdomen would result in the greatest stability, but recent research has contradicted that theory. Dr. Stuart McGill of Waterloo University has built his entire career on debunking lower-back myths and giving sound advice on training your midsection. McGill says that while “drawing in” involves tightening the abdominals and sucking your stomach in, bracing involves tightening the same muscles without movement. You have 29 pairs of muscles that support your spine, and McGill has shown that bracing activates these muscles in a more complete fashion than drawing in.

    Progressing Stabilization

    • Once abdominal bracing has been perfected, you can move onto more difficult stabilization exercises. These exercises will use your limbs, while maintaining a stable core. Start with the “dead bug” exercise. Lie on your back with your knees bent. Brace you abdominals, and lift your right foot and left arm off of the ground simultaneously; focus on not arching or rounding your lower back. Repeat 15 to 20 times on each side. Once the dead bug becomes easy, move on to the “bird dog” exercise. Position yourself on your hands and knees. Brace your abdominals and reach your left arm, while extending your right leg back. Pause in the furthest position, and return to the starting position. Repeat eight to 10 times on each side.

    Recommendations

    • Always consult your health-care provider before starting an exercise program. If you are cleared for exercise, seek out a qualified trainer to assist you. A knowledgeable trainer will be able to design a program for you, specifically tailored to your weaknesses and imbalances. Remember, exercise should never cause discomfort. You want your muscles to work, but if you feel sharp pain, burning or shooting pain during exercise, seek medical help as soon as possible.