Everything You Need to Know about Agility Ladders

From battle ropes to suspension trainers, there are countless pieces of equipment that can help improve athlete performance. But however much training equipment advances, the speed ladder (also known as an agility ladder) is a tried-and-tested piece of equipment that can enhance your fitness.

Being agile means "being able to change directions quickly", said Alexa Javens, a NASM-certified personal trainer, adding that speed-ladder workouts are great for developing multi-directional speed, coordination and agility.

Agility-ladder drills can also improve your cognition, quickness and anticipation of changing directions, which is helpful for your overall athletic performance. Additionally, these drills can improve performance when participating in sports including football, rugby, boxing, tennis and martial arts, said Heather Milton, a CSCS and board-certified clinical exercise physiologist at NYU Langone Sports Performance Center in New York City.

Agility ladders are affordable, easy to train with and versatile. Plus, you can use them wherever you have space to place the ladder, like in a park, your front garden or even your living room.

Training with the speed ladder pushes you to move side to side instead of forwards and backwards, which is how we often move in workouts. That's because it incorporates lateral and rotational (crossing legs over each other) movements into your training. Furthermore, when adding drills that require hopping (like plyometrics), you enhance your quickness, tendon strength and power, Milton said.

"Integrating agility work into your weekly exercise routine is recommended to maintain and improve neuromuscular coordination", Milton said. Because you have to be intentional about how you're moving your body—ideally with speed, power and control—you'll challenge and improve your physical abilities and your proprioception, or your body's ability to sense its location, movements and action, Javens said.

The drills you do will vary depending on your age and physical ability, and when using an agility ladder (or doing any style of training), quality over quantity is the way to go, Milton said.

When it comes to implementing agility-ladder workouts into your movement routine, Milton recommended doing this type of neuromuscular work at least two times a week.

If you're ready to improve your athletic abilities, warm up and get ready to add the following agility-ladder drills to your routine.

Milton advised performing each exercise for 20 to 30 seconds, taking 10 to 20 seconds between each exercise and taking two to three minutes of rest between sets to ensure neural recovery, aka give your brain a break. Additionally, if these movements are new to you and you find that you're messing up (which is OK, take your time!), Milton said to take a break and reset before attempting the movement again.

And don't forget about your form. Your trunk should be positioned over your legs rather than leaning laterally or too far forwards, maintaining tension in your core (think about engaging your abdominals), Milton said. Make sure you maintain a slight bend in the knees and keep the weight on your toes or the balls of your feet, as opposed to your whole foot or heels. This will allow you to be more agile and get off the ground quicker, which is the name of the game.

If a move is too advanced, modify it or focus on beginner movements, such as running with one foot through the ladder and forward high knees, always focusing on technique.

Check out a few agility-ladder exercises that Javens and Milton recommend.