20 minutes Workout

Want to know the definition of agility? Check out those adorable pooches that tear up the obstacle courses on ESPN2. They can run at top speed, stop short, change direction, and start again, all in a fraction of a second. You need similar skills so your muscles can react Jack Russell–fast, whether you're blowing by an opponent or dodging people at a crowded airport.

We asked our fitness columnist, Amy Dixon, an exercise physiologist and the group fitness manager at Equinox in Santa Monica, California, to design a workout that will fine-tune your agility. Do the moves two noncon­secutive days a week and we guarantee you'll be fleet of foot in four weeks.

FANCY FOOTWORK

Can't make it to the gym? Kill time during commercials with these three living-room-friendly agility drills from Mike Mejia, a certified strength and conditioning specialist and personal trainer on Long Island, New York.

SHUFFLE

Stand on the left side of an eight- to 10-foot-wide room (or rug) with your feet shoulder-width apart and hands at your sides. Step to your right, first with your right foot, then with your left, repeating all the way across the room as explosively as you can. When you get within a foot of the right wall, lean to the left to shift your momentum and shuffle back. Repeat five times.

SQUAT THRUSTS

Stand with your feet together. Squat and place your palms on the floor outside your feet. With your arms mostly straight, jump your feet back into plank position. Then immediately jump your feet up between your hands and stand up. Repeat eight to 10 times.

LADDER DRILL

Tape a two-foot square on the floor. Straddle the box. Step quickly into the box with your right foot, followed by your left; then out with your right, and out with your left. Repeat 10 times. Switch the leading foot and do 10 more.

Fine-tune your coordination in four weeks flat. Do these moves twice a week to train your muscles to respond quickly. Opt for a weight at which you can barely eke out the last rep of your final set with perfect form.