Agility: The Cat and the Salamander
Agility is defined as the ability to spontaneously react to changes in the environment without losing alignment or dynamic stability. In addition to enhancing athleticism, agility is an important life skill. Think about it. Are you able to react to the mogul fields, icy paths and narrow trails that life throws at you without losing your center? If you were an animal, would you be a cat or a salamander?
The concept of the cat and the salamander is actually created by one of the most important people in the sport fitness movement; Paul Chek. Chek has a theory of two different athletic personality types: Cats and Salamanders. “Cats” are involved in unpredictable sports such as basketball and soccer. Some skiers, such as the ones described in Witherell’s Athletic Skier, can be described in this manner. Cats are characterized by their quick reactions to varying stimuli. When put on a conditioning program, they will respond quickly, and require additions, advancement and variety at frequent intervals.
“Salamanders” are slower in their reaction times. They prefer sports such as swimming, weight training and distance running. These activities are more predictable than those preferred by cats. Salamanders will take a longer time to adapt to a conditioning program, and are more comfortable repeating the same routine for a longer period of time.
Skiing and other winter sports are interesting in this regard. For the most part, these are cat-like activities that require the constant ability to react to changes. However, many people take a salamander’s approach to the sport. They ski or ride the same trails with the exact same turn shape for each and every turn. While they usually ski safely, if an object or another snow-slider finds its way into their path, they may find themselves unable to maintain stability when they react to this unexpected obstruction.
Fortunately, there are many ways to train for agility. Jumping rope will develop “fast feet”. Inline skating can help develop some ski specific skills. If you skate in an urban area, you will certainly be improving your reaction time.
You can devise an agility course by purchasing a bunch of hoola-hoops. Set them up in a room, and hop from hoop to hoop. In the warmer season, take the hoops to an outdoor hill. You can hop uphill and downhill. This is a great exercise for enhancing your mogul skiing skills. You can also create an agility course by arranging a variety of balance toys such as a Bosu, Dyna disc and wobble board in a pattern, and walking from one piece of equipment to another. These agility exercises can be applied to any sort.
Resource: The Athletic Body in Balance
This entry was contributed by Lisa Mercer.