The best thing about fitness ladder is that they can be used pretty much by anyone of all ages. A kid can start doing plyometric exercises on an agility ladder the moment that they learn how to stand up and run – specifically, about 5-8 years old.
One of the most effective gym equipment you can use for building agility is the fitness ladder and they’re perfect for athletes who want to improve on their balance, reaction time, and quickness – the exercises seem quite simple but are pretty complex and very rewarding to do.
Besides all that, using plyometric ladders is actually pretty fun – and I’m sure any kid would enjoy it. Plyometric is essentially structured play – you put what a kid does normally anyway when they’re playing and organize it in order to build strength evenly and efficiently.
What Can Kids Benefit From Agility Training?
Being able to move quickly and efficiently is an important skill for everyone to have – and it’s a skill that can be developed within kids at a really early age. The use of fitness ladders as part of your athletic training or even just as a fun activity with your kids helps in the following areas:
– Arm and leg speed
– Flexibility
– Explosive power equal to 6 intensive weight training workouts
– Strength in all muscle groups, including legs, arms, and core muscles
– Improves coordination which is important in many sports like basketball, soccer or baseball, etc.
Most of us agree that teaching kids good habits does not only ensure better future success taking into account physical health, but also helps them be smarter faster, get more friends and also make perfect grades.
It’s important to raise kids “right” instead of just telling them what to do or what’s good or bad because it has a significant impact on their behavior and personality traits in later stages. Introducing structured play through plyometric exercise can make your child love doing workouts, it will build a habit of self-improvement in them that they will not lose when they grow older.
Exercises can help kids learn to be more disciplined. The benefits of the fitness ladder go beyond improving their health. It’s also a good idea to let kids know from the very beginning that exercise is not only for adults but for them too.
For example, if you want to work out more often than you usually would – this is a sign from your body that you need it and a good one! The best age for kids to start using a fitness ladder is about 5-8 and get more durable benefits when they’re 16-18.
Another big benefit for kids is that if they start learning agility training exercises at a young age, they’ll be less chance for them to develop any movement impairment in the future.
How Do You Teach A Kid To Do Plyometric Exercises On A Fitness Ladder?
Every kid wants to have fun – it’s the only thing they know at that age. That’s why when teaching kids how to do exercises on a fitness ladder, you can’t just outright directly teach it to them like some boring teacher or be too strict like a drill sergeant. Here are some tips on how you can make a kid be more interested in learning exercises:
1. Make it fun. As was mentioned earlier, plyometric exercises CAN be fun but they’re not automatically fun. It depends on you, the adult, how fun you can make the exercises be. The best way to start is by doing it alongside the kids and introducing it like it is a challenge. Make it a fun time to do exercises with you, make sure that they’re laughing and enjoying – the younger the kid, the less structure there should be on the workout routine.
2. Encourage the kids verbally or with rewards. Give them some affirmation that they’re doing great – a simple “good job” can go a long way to affecting a kid’s mind. It can boost them into wanting to keep doing exercises and other tough stuff. You can also try and give them some stuff that they like if they achieve a milestone. Don’t reward them every time they do exercises, because that will actually make the exercises less fun as time goes since they’ll be doing it for the rewards. But if you give them rewards once in a while, saying that they did a good job, then it might reinforce their behavior into wanting to exercise more.
3. Let them play on it with their friends. If you let them play on a plyometric ladder with friends, you’ll be building their physical strength as well as their social capability. They’ll be able to develop socially as they interact with other kids meaning their growth and development will be more spread out into other areas.
Why you should buy your kids a plyometric ladder rather than toys or a phone
There are so many parents these days who’d rather have their children play with their toys all alone and not bother them, but you can see how this might affect their growth negatively. There are so many benefits that plyometric drills can give to your kids that instant solutions like a phone or a computer just couldn’t!
1. Attitude and Discipline – these two are such important things for a child to learn at an early age and you can impart these to them if you introduce exercise in their life. They’ll surely thank you in the future for teaching this to them – wouldn’t you also rather have your parents taught you how to be disciplined and have the right attitude rather than trying to learn it all on your own in the present? The world would be a very different place if only kids grew up to be more disciplined, with the right attitude.
2. Community and Relationship – if you let them play these exercises with their friends, their social muscles will grow and they will grow up to find it easier to socialize and interact with other people. Also, your relationship with that kid would improve too as you spend time with them.
3. Physical and Mental Health – you’ll be boosting their physical growth as well as their emotional growth. Studies have already shown that exercise has a positive effect on mental health and along with that if a kid exercises, they’ll be able to grow with fewer physical problems. They’ll be able to live a full life with fewer hindrances.
Should You Start Doing Plyometric Ladder Drills with Your kids?
Yes, absolutely. It won’t only help the kid, it will also help you. Remember the many benefits we’d told you about? You’ll also be getting all that and more. Plyometric Drills are especially more ideal these days since there are still many places that are locked down because of the pandemic. You can do plyometric ladder drills anywhere in your home or in your backyard. If you don’t have a plyometric ladder, you can order one for cheap online – and if you’re the do it yourself kind of person, then you can actually make one of your own with duct tape and sticks.
If you want to start doing plyometric exercises, check out this article for agility ladder training that you, or any other beginner – including kids, can do.
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