Six Exercises WNBA Players Use to Stay Agile

Running and jumping come easily for children. “As adults, we stop playing, and unless you’re an athlete, you probably rarely find yourself jumping, bounding or sprinting,” says Sarah Walls, strength and conditioning coach for the Women’s National Basketball Association’s Washington Mystics.

Without that type of activity, we lose our athleticism. Most mainstream exercises work in one plane of motion, she says, and don’t involve plyometrics—quick, explosive movements that train muscles to produce power. Drills that include jumping, hopping and quick movements in many planes benefit more than athletes.