Be quick on your feet

Whether you’re trying to improve your game, become a better dancer, or simply be less clumsy, here are exercises for quick results.

Balance test
Take this DIY balance test before you start the exercises. Clock your time after two weeks to know how you’ve improved.
If you are right-handed, stand on your left leg and hold the right leg up 6 inches above the floor (reverse if you’re left-handed) with your eyes shut. Try to stay 100% stable.
If you clock more than 30 seconds, your functional age is 20 years.
If you clock 25 seconds, your functional age is 30 years.
16 seconds and below: age 40 and above

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Quick-step exercise
Place five or six obstacles such as a book, a ball or a small stool in your room and see how quickly you can jump over them.
Keep your body erect, your spine in an S-shape and tuck in your glutes. The movement should be seamless, with light landings and no audible thump when you jump.

How to better it:
Increase the height of the obstacle or the number of obstacles. If you started out by jumping five obstacles in 30 seconds, aim to be able to jump seven in that time after a week.
Or you can go faster. If you take 30 seconds on the first day, aim to reduce the time by the seventh day.

Sprint on the spot
There is no easier way to get faster on your feet than by sprinting on the spot. Make it more challenging by increasing the duration and your speed.

Play a game of Frisbee
This simple game that you can play with your family is a great way to improve your reaction time and sharpen your reflexes.

Exercises with a partner

Clock jump
Make a circle with obstacles placed to denote hours on a clock. Stand in the centre and ask your partner to tell you which hour on the clock you need to run/jump to. For instance: You have to hop to 3 pm, return to the centre and sprint to 6 pm. Aim to increase your speed over a period of time.

Punching bag
Ask your partner to hold a punching bag and move it around rapidly. You have to focus on the changing direction of the bag and hit it fast at the same time. This exercise sharpens your reflexes.

Burpee
Begin in a squat position — on all fours with hands on the floor in front of you.
Kick your feet back to a pushup position; then immediately return your feet to the squat position.
Leap up as high as possible from the squat position.
Repeat the whole sequence, moving as fast as possible.

How to better it:
Do a burpee while following a countdown. If you take ten seconds to complete the whole sequence the first time, aim to reduce it by a second or two with every repetition.

Also increase the number of repetitions. Most athletes will average between 12 to 15 repetitions in 30 seconds.

This is a jump-squat that you can easily practise at home with some peppy music.