This Agility Workout Will Boost Your Balance in 20 Minutes
When you think about an agility workout, what comes to mind? Maybe the plastic ladder that you had to weave in and out of during gym class, or doing fancy footwork drills around cones to challenge your balance during sports practice. According to the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), agility refers to “the ability to start, stop, and change direction quickly while maintaining proper posture.” So agility training is the type of exercise that incorporates those movements.
For many of us, agility training slowed—or even stopped—once organized sports practice ended. But continuing these movements can have real-life benefits that go beyond hitting your fitness goals.
“Agility training requires a lot of focus and neuromuscular efficiency, which is the communication from your brain to all of your muscles, and how well they can work together,” Alicia Jamison, C.P.T., trainer at Bodyspace Fitness in New York City, tells SELF. “Strengthening that full-body communication is essential to a total-body fitness routine.”
Agility training gives your body a greater ability to control forces that can knock you off balance and make you feel unstable, and also boosts your mobility, says Jamison. That’s why agility training can help reduce your risk of injury, both in your training and in everyday life.
Everything we do, from cooking to shopping to housework, generally involves agility (think reaching, bending over, and turning around). So when you incorporate more agility exercises into your workout routine, you might just feel a little more balanced in your day-to-day life too.
For this 20-minute, circuit-style agility workout created by Jamison, you’ll work your whole body in order to stay balanced, but you’ll really feel it in your glutes, core, quads, and hamstrings. And the 30-seconds-on, 10-seconds-off ratio will challenge your heart rate, giving you an agility workout that doubles as cardio.
“I’ve predominantly picked unilateral, or single-sided, moves because that’s what challenges our balance—and brain,” says Jamison. “Changing our base of support from two feet to just one foot is kind of the simplest and most effective ways to challenge your balance.”
The beauty of this workout is that you can do it as a standalone at-home workout routine or you can take any one of the circuits and sprinkle it into another strength training or cardio workout. Jamison suggests incorporating at least one agility and balance exercise in all of your workouts, and then focusing one day of your training on agility. (It’s important to note that if you have knee, hip, or ankle instability, or any other medical condition that may make injury more likely during jumping or balance exercises, you should check with your doctor or physical therapist before doing this workout.)
Ready to move your feet? Here’s what you’ll need for this challenging 20-minute agility workout.
The Workout
What you’ll need: An exercise mat for extra cushioning and a bench or step.
The Exercises
Circuit 1
- Skater hops
- Transverse lunge to power skip
- Bear crawl
Circuit 2
- Split lunge jump
- Warrior balance
- Curtsy lunge to reverse lunge to hop
Circuit 3
- Bulgarian split squat
- Step-up to knee raise
- Forward to reverse lunge
Directions:
- Perform each exercise for 30 seconds, and then rest for 10 seconds before moving on to the next exercise. Rest for 1 minute between each circuit. Complete each circuit 3 times total.
- For one-sided moves, you’ll do each exercise for 30 seconds on one side during the first round, switch sides for the second round, and then do 15 seconds on both sides for the third.
Demoing the moves below are Amanda Wheeler (GIFs 1 and 7), a certified strength and conditioning specialist and cofounder of Formation Strength; Tiana Jones (GIF 2), a dance and fitness instructor based in New York City; Shauna Harrison (GIF 3), a Bay Area–based trainer, yogi, public health academic, advocate, and columnist for SELF; Cookie Janee, (GIFs 4–6), a background investigator and security forces specialist in the Air Force Reserve; Nikki Pebbles (GIF 8), a New York City–based fitness instructor; and Teresa Hui (GIF 9), a native New Yorker who has run more than 150 road races, including 16 full marathons
Katie Thompson1Skater Hops
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
Bend your knees slightly, then jump to the right as far as you can, leading with your right foot and swinging your left leg just behind your right. Swing your arms across your body to help you jump farther.
Land on your right foot and bend your knee slightly, balancing on that foot for a second.
Jump back to the left, landing on your left foot. Try to jump as far and as fast as you can while staying balanced.
Continue for 30 seconds.
2Transverse Lunge to Power Skip
Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Keep your left foot pointed straight ahead while stepping to the right side with your right foot.
Place your right foot at a 90-degree angle and push back into your right hip.
Push off the ground with your right foot and press your left foot into the ground to pull your body back to the center.
Drive your right knee toward your chest and hop with your left foot.
Come right back into the transverse lunge position on the same side. That’s 1 rep.
Continue for 30 seconds. Switch sides for the second round, and then do 15 seconds on both sides for the third.
Kelsey McClellan3Bear Crawl
Start on all fours and lift your knees so they’re at a 90-degree angle and hovering an inch off the ground. Keep your back flat, your legs hip-width apart, and your arms shoulder-width apart.
Move your right hand and left foot forward an equal distance while staying low to the ground.
Switch sides, moving your left hand and right foot.
Repeat the movement while alternating sides.
Continue for 30 seconds.
Katie Thompson4Split Lunge Jump
Stand with your feet together. Step back (about 2 feet) with your left foot, landing on the ball of your left foot and keeping your heel off the floor.
Bend both knees until your right quad and left shin are parallel to the floor, your torso leaning slightly forward so that your back is flat. Your right knee should be above your right foot, and your butt and core should be engaged. Hold your hands in front of your chest.
Push through both feet to jump straight up, swinging your arms by your sides to add momentum.
As you land, lower into a lunge before immediately jumping again.
Continue for 30 seconds. Switch sides for the second round, and then do 15 seconds on both sides for the third.
If this is too challenging, perform regular alternating lunges without the jump.
Katie Thompson5Warrior Balance
Stand on your left foot and lift your right knee to hip height in front of your body. Bend your elbows so that your hands are by your shoulders. This is the starting position.
Hinge forward at the hips and reach your arms forward as you extend your right leg behind you. Keep your standing leg slightly bent as your torso becomes parallel with the floor.
Pause for a second, then reverse the movement to return to starting position. That’s 1 rep.
Continue for 30 seconds. Switch sides for the second round, and then do 15 seconds on both sides for the third.
Katie Thompson6Curtsy Lunge to Reverse Lunge to Hop
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your hands on your hips or relaxed by your sides. This is the starting position.
Step your right foot diagonally behind you and lower your right knee until it almost touches the floor. Your front knee should bend to about 90 degrees.
Drive through your left heel to stand back up and return to the starting position.
Step backward with your right foot, landing on the ball of your right foot and keeping your heel off the ground.
Bend both knees to 90 degrees as you sink into a lunge. Focus on keeping your core engaged and your hips tucked (don’t stick your butt out). Sometimes it can be helpful to place your hands on your hips so you can make sure your hips aren’t tilting to the side or forward and back.
Push off the ball of your right foot and drive your knee toward your chest as you hop.
Come right back down into the reverse lunge position, with your right foot stepping back. That’s 1 rep.
Repeat the whole sequence on the opposite side and continue alternating for 30 seconds.
7Bulgarian Split Squat
Stand with your back to your bench or step. With your left foot on the floor a few feet in front of the bench, place the top of your right foot on the bench, shoelaces down.
Bend your knees to lower down into a split squat. Your left knee should ideally form a 90-degree angle so that your thigh is parallel to the ground and your right knee is hovering above the floor. (Quick position check: Your left foot should be stepped out far enough that you can do this without letting your left knee go past your left toes—if you can’t, hop your left foot out a bit farther away from the bench.)
Driving through your left heel, stand back up to starting position.
Continue for 30 seconds. Switch sides for the second round, and then do 15 seconds on both sides for the third.
Katie Thompson8Step-Up to Knee Raise
Step on to a bench or step with your right foot and drive your left knee up toward your chest, bringing your knee to hip height.
With control, return your left foot to the floor, then step your right foot to the floor to return to your starting position.
Continue for 30 seconds. Switch sides for the second round, and then do 15 seconds on both sides for the third.
9Alternating Forward to Reverse Lunge
- Start standing with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Lift your right foot, step forward about 2 feet, and plant it firmly on the floor. Bend both knees until your right quad and left shin are approximately parallel to the floor. Your torso should lean slightly forward so your back is flat and not arched or rounded. Your right knee should be above your right foot and your butt and core should be engaged.
- Push through the heel of your right foot to return to the starting position.
- Step your right foot back about 2 feet, landing on the ball of your foot and keeping your heel off the floor. Bend both knees until your left quad and right shin are approximately parallel to the floor. Your torso should lean slightly forward so your back is flat and not arched or rounded. Your left knee should be above your left foot and your butt and core should be engaged.
- Push through the heel of your left foot to return to the starting position. That’s 1 rep.
- Continue for 30 seconds. Switch sides for the second round, and then do 15 seconds on both sides for the third.
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