Agility Ladder:
The agility ladder is not only good to improve speed and agility, but also can help improve proprioception, or in other words knowing where your feet are on the ground. We often use this equipment for sports training or as a balance exercise which works on picking up the feet to step over obstacles.
Foam Roller:
Foam rollers are not only used for workout recovery but can also be used for core strengthening. For muscle recovery, the roller is thought to massage fascia (the connective tissue which connects us together) which has been proven to improve flexibility. Science has not yet proved its benefit for reducing muscle soreness post workout. One study found that rolling actually improved athletic performance as a pre-workout, but the evidence was weak. Foam rolling should not be painful, but rather at the “hedonic point” (somewhere between feeling good and sore). If foam rolling is too painful for you, I would suggest purchasing a lower density foam roller which is actually fairly soft.
Exercise Sliders
Exercise sliders are a great way to not only make your workout more dynamic but can increase the difficulty of exercises you may already be doing! Using the sliders under your feet or hands require increased stabilization of muscles. It can also be a tool to progress towards one-legged strengthening exercises whether you are limited by pain or strength. If you don’t get your hands on a pair of these sliders, a towel on slick flooring works the same!
Resistance Bands
Don’t be fooled by the bands, they can give you a killer workout. Workout bands have actually been used for almost a century. The research shows us that resistance band use has the same amount of muscle fiber activation and increases strength just as well as dumb-bell strengthening. The elastic bands are more functional than free-weights as they provide resistance with gravity and we can use the bands to help facilitate specific muscle groups to give you a more effective workout and reduced risk of injury.