More often than not, when men cross 40, their involvement in recreational sports activities significantly reduces. This happens because of a plethora of reasons such as joint pain, a weakness that is often associated with increasing age.However, just because you are getting old, doesn’t mean that you have to put a stop to all the fun activities, like basketball, badminton, hockey, football, etc. These fun activities will help you to increase your agility. Agility refers to the ability to move your limbs quickly and easily. 

When you are not agile, you experience difficulty while moving your limbs quickly. You feel that catching a bus, brisk walking, jogging, and all the normal activities that you do daily are difficult to do. Therefore, an increase in agility is required to enable you to stay light on your feet and more active.However, whichever agility drills you choose to do, make sure that they don’t cause too much pain to your body or overtax your joints. Do those drills that are appropriate for your body and age. You may not want to do intensive workouts, but lunges may just work out to be fine for you if you have crossed 40.

To increase agility for men, especially those who are over 40 and experiencing some discomfort in moving their joints, here are some of the best agility drills that will help them to stay more active and fit in life. 

Also Read: Men's Workout Over 40

Best Agility Drills for Men

Here are the agility drills for men to stay light on their feet:

1. Two jumps forward, One jump back

The best way to target the lower part of your body while agility training is through using an agility ladder. Using an agility ladder will help men to strengthen their hamstrings and hip flexors. Eventually, this will increase agility in you and you will observe positive effects within a week or two.  

While using the agility ladder, stand in the first ladder square with your feet shoulder width apart. Don’t lock in your knees, make sure they are bent a little. Next, jump two ladder squares. Once you do that, jump back one ladder square. Then, jump forward two ladder squares and jump back one. Continue doing this until you reach the end of the ladder and then repeat the entire process 3 times. 

2. Skipping

Skipping a rope is another effective agility drill that can ensure the health of your body by stimulating coordination. In addition to just improving the agility in your body, it can also help in reducing some fat and improve the health of your heart.

Skipping is considered to be a better option than jumping or running because it removes the direct pressure that is exerted on the knees, ankles, and hips. Not only that, high-intensity exercises like running can tire you fast and increase the chances of giving up. So, it is better to start with easy and then try hard. Agility drills like skipping also reduce the chances of facing an injury to your body.  

3. Squat in, Squat out

For this exercise, you might need the agility ladder again. Stand in the first ladder square with your feet shoulder-width apart. Jump forward in a way that you land in a squat, by spreading your legs apart. Make sure that they don’t land in the ladder square. 

Next, jump forward in a squat, landing your feet in the ladder square. Continue doing this drill until you reach the end of the ladder and repeat the entire process. 

4. Hopping with a single leg

For this exercise, stand at the end of the ladder and lift your right leg first. With the right leg lifted, hop with your left leg on the ladder squares. Once you reach the end of the ladder, turn around and lift your left foot now. Repeat the entire cycle with your right leg.

5. Superman

Superman is one of the best upper body agility drills, especially when it comes to strengthening your upper and lower back. For this exercise, lay on your stomach on the floor. Once you do that, slowly extend one arm forward and the opposite leg backward. Hold the position for one or two seconds and then repeat it with the other arm and leg.

Once you master this drill, you can level up by extending both arms forward along with extending both legs backward. It can be a little difficult for you, so it is best to start with the first one. This will help you to strengthen your back and improve your posture.

Make sure that you do not put too much pressure on your back to avoid pain. Just do it as much as you can, there is no need to strain yourself more. 

6. Lunges

Lunges are yet another useful exercise to mobilize your limbs and make you more active. One of the reasons why lunges are helpful is because multiple muscles are used while performing this exercise. Therefore, you are not just targeting just one or two muscles of your body, but many of them at the same time.

For this, you know the drill. Keep your feet shoulder-width apart. Next, step one leg forward on the ground and bend the knee with the other leg intact. All this, while keeping the upper part of your body straight.While bending the knee, make sure it is at the right angle and does not cross your foot. Hold this position for 5-10 seconds and then repeat it with the other foot. You can do five to ten reps of this exercise.

These are some of the effective agility drills for men to increase the mobilization of their limbs and make daily physical activities easier for them. Even if you are not aged, agility drills can be a healthy addition to your strength training or H.I.I.T workout routine. Once you do the agility training, you will realize it’s fun and makes you feel like you are an athlete.

Also Read: Men’s Health Over 40