Physical Fitness - Is Your Workout Missing Something?

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Title: Physical Fitness - Is Your Workout Missing Something?

Word Count: 553

Author: Mike

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Physical Fitness - Is Your Workout Missing Something?

Copyright 2005 Mike

Hiking along a rocky trail, two of the three friends

carefully picked their way from rock to rock. But one

leaped from rock to rock, bounding by the others like a

gazelle running and leaping from rock to rock. Never

missing his footing, the others wondered at his almost

supernatural grace and skill. " How does he do that? " they

thought.

When most people think of physical fitness, they think of

strength and cardiovascular fitness. If they are really

thinking about it, they'll add flexibility to the list.

But there's something few people think about when working

out, a missing component of physical fitness. You can't get

it just by lifting weights or running on a treadmill.

The missing component is agility.

Agility is what let my friend run rings around us, leaping

from rock to rock along the Pedernales River in Texas.

Agility is what you see in top athletes who make great

skill look effortless. Agility is what helps a ballet

dancer make it look effortless. Agility is how Jackie Chan

can still do martial arts even while he is rolling over

tables, bouncing off walls, leaping between the rungs of

ladders.

I didn't understand that until years after the hike along

the Pedernales River. Now, after doing martial arts for

almost 30 years, I understand. When you watch someone who

moves with grace and skill, you're seeing agility.

Have you ever had an experience where you felt clumsy?

Have you ever fumbled the ball, or tripped over your own

two feet?

Or have you ever seen someone who is in great shape, but

they just can't coordinate, they can't move?

The missing component of physical fitness is agility.

If you just do weights or cardio, you're not going to

develop agility. If you want agility, you have to move, and

you have to adapt on the fly to changing (and often

intense) situations.

Some sports and fitness activities promote agility more

than others. For me, martial arts gave me agility. I've

been dong WingTsun Kung Fu for 25 years, and martial

arts in general for almost 30. I have to be able to adapt

to what an opponent is doing quickly and perfectly. I have

to seize the advantage, gain and maintain dynamic control.

I have to stay balanced and graceful even while moving

rapidly and adjusting to the changing dynamics of sparring.

Many other sports really develop agility as well.

Basketball, tennis, soccer, hockey, skiing, snowboarding...

they all develop and require agility.

If you're not doing something to develop agility, today is

a good day to start. You'll be amazed at the difference

increased agility will make in feeling physically fit.

Before long you'll move with the grace of a cat, you'll

bound like a gazelle.

Don't just lift weights and do cardio - get out there and

do something to increase your agility as well. Get together

with some buddies for basketball. Go play some tennis.

Take up martial arts. Agility will give you the ability to

actually DO something with all of the physical fitness

you've been developing. You will feel better and move

better, and you will probably have a lot more fun than just

running on a treadmill or lifting weights!

About the Author:

Mike owns WingTsun Kung Fu schools in Illinois,

Indiana, and Iowa - Dynamic Martial Arts:

http://www.dynamicwingtsun.com/

Mike also runs Fitness.com, an online fitness equipment

catalog: http://www.fitness-catalog.com/