Showing posts with label Soccer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Soccer. Show all posts

Monday, August 15, 2011

4 Health Benefits of Soccer


Soccer is one of the better forms of exercise. It's a game of near non-stop movement. You run slowly, you sprint, and you use your entire body to run, jump, kick and head the ball. It's also a sport for all ages and abilities. Kids as young as 4 years old have fun playing soccer, and all you need in terms of equipment is a soccer ball and a place to kick it around.
Aerobic Exercise
Aerobic exercise, such as running up and down a soccer field, strengthens your cardiovascular system. Regular aerobic exercise reduces the risk of developing many serious health conditions, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, stroke and some types of cancer. By stimulating the immune system, aerobic activity makes you less susceptible to viral illnesses such as colds and flu. As MayoClinic.com states, "Regardless of age, weight or athletic ability, aerobic activity is good for you."
Weight
Soccer helps keep your weight under control, which is important for adults and kids -- one out of every six kids in America is not just overweight but obese. Soccer players run as much as four to five miles in a game and burn more calories than with most forms of exercise because of the non-stop nature of the game. If you combine the amount of exercise from soccer with a healthy diet, you are likely to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight.
Strength, Balance and Flexibility
As Syracuse.com notes, "There are also few other sports that engage so many muscles...soccer forces the player to master the coordination needed to have control of the ball with all parts of the body." Kicking the ball powerfully requires balance, leg strength and core strength. In addition to increasing muscle, soccer strengthens your bones.
Considerations
In addition to its other benefits, soccer gives your brain a workout. The fast-paced game requires players to be alert and think on their feet. Coach Tony Epifani, a former U.S. Junior Nationals team member, says, "I think your brain is constantly doing five or six things, always trying to anticipate what's going to happen next."

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Cristiano Ronaldo with Unbeatable Style


Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo is hitting football play grounds with his unbeatable style and conquering statures since stepping into footballers’ list. This successful sportsman is loved and adored by millions of his fans worldwide.
World Soccer Player of the Year 2008, Cristiano Ronaldo has many wins to his credits for Portuguese national teamCristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveirocommonly known as Cristiano Ronaldo plays as a winger for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid. He is the captain of Portuguese national team and is most expensive player in the history of football worth £80 million. His contract with Real Madrid in which he would be paid £11 million per year over the following six years also makes him the highest-paid football player in the world.
Cristiano Ronaldo was born on 5 february 1985 in Funchal, Madeira island of Portugal and began his career as a youth player for Andorinha. Portuguese giants “Sporting CP” was his next destination in 1997. He signed the 18-year-old deal with Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson for £12.24 million in 2003. In 2004 he won his first club honor, the FA Cupand made his way to Euro 2004 final with Portugal that was the tournament in which he scored his first international goal.
Cristiano Ronaldo won the name of “player of the tournament” in 2008 along winning Champions League with United same year. He was also named as “FIFPro World Player of the Year”and the “FIFA World Player of the Year” plusManchester United’s first Ballon d’Or winner in 40 years. Johan Cruyff, three times winner of Ballon d’Or has commented about Cristiano Ronaldo in an interview on 2nd April 2008 as, “Ronaldo is better than George Best and Denis Law, who were two brilliant and great players in the history of United.”
Cristiano Ronaldo is the football player holding distinction of being first player to win the “FIFA Puskás Award” that is an honor given by FIFA to the best goal of the year. He is a philanthropic celebrity also who has visited Aceh in Indonesia to raise funds for rehabilitation and reconstruction of ruined places due to earthquake and tsunami. He has also to play a charity match in Madeira between the Portuguese Liga club Porto and players from Madeiran based Portuguese Liga clubs Marítimo and Nacional for the victims of the 2010 Madeira flood.
Peeping into his love life, Cristiano Ronaldo has been dating Russian model Irina Shayk since start of 2010 but whatever he does, wins hearts of his lovers and football followers.

Saturday, August 13, 2011

3 Soccer Coaching Tactics


When you are coaching soccer, you are going to want your players to be in excellent shape. You are going to want them to understand their roles on the team and you are also going to want to put each player in the position where they can help the team the most. Players want coaches who are honest and fair. If you tell them what you want and you are consistent, your players will play hard for you from the start of the season to the finish.
Conditioning Drills
You set the tone for your team at your early practices. No soccer team can compete if the players are not in top shape. You must make sure your players are in excellent condition and you will have to give them running drills. Start all your players on the endline. Set up cones at the 20-yard mark, the 40-yard mark and midfield. On your whistle all players will sprint from the goalline to the 20 and back, then to the 40-yard line and back and then to midfield and back. Give your players a two-minute break and then repeat it. Emphasize condition by not allowing your players to walk on the field. They must run from drill to drill and hustle every time they step on the field.
Communication
To foster a team atmosphere and let each player know he is valuable to the team, a good coach will make the effort to get to know his players as individuals and find at least a little bit about them off the field. This will let the players know you care about them as individuals. This extra effort on your part as a soccer coach may mean the difference between conceding a ball to the opponent and going after it at full speed and trying to take it away. Let all players know the rules of the team and be consistent with them. Don't let some players get away with minor violations and others get punished for them. Look players in the eye when you are talking to them.
Tactics
Use tactics that makes sense for your team. If you have a team that is loaded with speedy players, emphasize pushing the ball ahead so you can create odd-man situations and create great scoring chances in the penalty area. However, if you have bigger and stronger players, you may want to emphasize tight defense and keeping players out of your scoring areas. Build the core of your team around your best players. You should put your smartest player as the sweeper, your top passer should be your center forward and your best dribbler should be your striker because one quick dribble away from the defender may create a scoring opportunity.

3 Skills to Develop in Your Soccer


Improving your play on the soccer field does not happen by chance. You have to improve your skill level, improve your cardiovascular conditioning and make sure you get plenty of opportunities to practice. By watching great players play the game and trying to apply the lessons you've learned to your own game, you can become a much improved soccer player.
Dribbling Skills
Set up five cones outside the penalty area. Start 10 yards outside the cones and start dribbling the ball. Go to the right of the first cone, the left of the second cone, the right of the third cone and continue in that manner. When you get past the last cone, cut into the penalty area. Make a pass to the top of the penalty area to a waiting teammate. Then go back and start the drill again. When you get past the last cone, dribble into the penalty area and take a shot on goal. Do this five times at each practice session.
Sprinting Drill
Start off on one side of the field near the penalty area. Sprint from the sideline to the start of the penalty area and back to the sideline. Go from the sideline to the center of the penalty area and sprint back and then from the sideline to the end of the penalty area and back. Do this twice at the start of practice and twice at the end to work on your cardiovascular conditioning.
Shooting Accuracy
An accurate shot is more difficult to defend than a powerful shot, according to international soccer star David Beckham. A player who can hit the corners is a consistent threat to score goals. Place two cones in the lower left corner of the goal and two more of the lower right corner of the goal. Put a large towel in the upper left corner and another one in the upper right corner. Stand at the penalty kick line and try to hit all four targets. Take five shots at each target and record your accuracy. You should improve over a two-week period. Do this every day in practice.

Effective Warm Up Drills Before Soccer


Warming up before soccer practice or a game helps you both mentally and physically. You need to get your focus from the bike or car ride to soccer playing, and this transition may take a few minutes. Your heart rate needs to rise, and your muscles need to warm up. Even pro players like David Beckham of the LA Galaxy carefully focus on warming up before a game for peak results. Allow five to 10 minutes for easy warm-up activities for youth players and for focused exercises for adults.
Bulls in the Ring
Long-time coach D.W. Crisfield recommends in "Knack Coaching Youth Soccer" putting all the players, each with his own ball, in the center circle of the field. Have players dribble with just the inside or outside of their feet, or just the right or left foot. On your command, have them sprint out of the ring and put a foot on top of the ball when they cross the border of the ring. The last player out is the loser.
Half -and-Half Drill
This drill, also from "Knack Coaching Youth Soccer," allows the warmup to double as a skills drill. You can mark a grid 25 yards on each side with plastic disks or cones. Half the players will have a ball at any given time. Players with the ball work first on dribbling and passing, as they take two touches and pass to an open player. The player who receives the ball accelerates and looks for another open player. Author Crisfield recommends continuing the drill until the players' heart rates are elevated. Players also work on thigh and chest control, with one player tossing the ball underhanded to an open player's thigh or chest. The receiver controls the ball, brings it down to his foot and dribbles away. She then picks up the ball and tosses it to an open player. Finally, players toss the ball five times to each other, head the ball back and change places.
Skipping
Adult players can warm up with vigorous movements, including skipping, University of North Carolina Greensboro coach Michael Parker recommendas in "Premier Soccer." These movements raise the heart rate and dynamically stretch the muscles. For the "A" skip, bring alternate legs up, heel nearly to your buttocks, and briefly hop off the ground and land in a skipping motion. For the "B" Skip, bring the heel up to the buttocks like with the A skip, but instead of lowering your skipping leg to the ground, extend it in front of you until it is relatively straight. Then lower it to the ground.
Carioca, Shuffle and High Knees
Sideways motions also warm the muscles and stretch the body. Coaches everywhere recommend the carioca, which is much like the grapevine dance step in which you cross one leg over the other as you move sideways. The shuffle goes side to side without crossing the legs. Parker also recommends high knees. Moving slowly down the field, drive your knees up and lean forward, as if you are running in place. Follow with a game involving a few people on each side to complete the warmup, he advises.

3 Beginners Soccer Drills for Kids


The main idea behind playing youth soccer is for the children who participate to have fun. One of the best ways to do this is to give the youngsters fun drills and games that will help them build their skill level and improve consistently. It's best to change the drills fairly quickly so you keep the interest level high.
Relay Drill
Divide your team into three groups of five. Set up three sets of five cones just past midfield. On your whistle, have the first player from each group dribble to the right of the first cone, the left of the second, the right of the third and continue in this manner until she is done with the fifth cone. Dribble the ball straight back to midfield where the second teammate takes over and does the same drill. Do this until all five players have completed the drill. The team that completes the drill the fastest wins.
Circle Drill
Have six players make a circle around one player. This drill is designed to help players receive and deliver passes with accuracy and speed. The player in the middle has to deliver the ball to one of her teammates. That teammate will pass back to her and she must receive the ball, then deliver an accurate pass to a different teammate. The player in the middle stays there until she delivers an inaccurate pass or fails to receive a teammate's good pass cleanly.
Shooting Accuracy
Set up three cones at the lower left corner of the net and three at the lower right corner. Put the ball in front of the goal about 15 yards out. The idea is to take six shots and to see how many cones the shooter can knock down. Six out of six would be spectacular. For youngsters playing the game, knocking down three cones would be an excellent result.

4 Basic Soccer Requirements


Soccer requires constant motion and movement and the ability to run up and down the field. While there are moments when players can rest, there are also times when players have to sprint the length of the field and back again at full speed. This is grueling and excruciating, but not out of the ordinary. Staying in shape throughout the year is advisable, but soccer players must work on specific game-related drills to play at a high level.
Step 1
Divide your team into groups of five. Three players in each group are on offense, and two are on defense. In an area about 20 square yards, have the offensive trio play keep-away from the defense. Any time the offense can make three successful passes in a row, they get a point. Any time the defense forces an error from the offense or takes the ball away, they get a point. Play for 3 minutes at a time and then switch up the partners. The same five players continue to go at it, but the defensive players move to offense, and the offensive players switch as well. Do this drill for 25 to 30 minutes total. It is exhausting but effective.
Step 2
Work on leg strength by having your players jump over a short bench (8 to 10 inches high) going side to side. Jump over it once left to right and follow that with a right-to-left jump. Repeat this exercise five to eight times. Players will feel the lactic acid burn, and it will build leg strength.
Step 3
Shuttle runs are perhaps the most effective drill for soccer players because this exercise conditions players to run at top speed for short bursts. Start at the end line of the field and set up sets of cones every 10 yards until you are 50 yards away from the end line. Have your players run to the first set of cones and back, to the second set of cones and back and so on until they get to the fifth set, 50 yards away. This full-speed run is demanding and effective at getting players into shape for soccer.
Step 4 
Work on the ability to dribble the ball in an enclosed area. Take two players of equal ability and put them in a 10-yard square area. Have one player dribble throughout the square and keep the ball away from the defender. The player with the ball should get to each of the four corners of the square while possessing the ball within a 1-minute period. Then give the other player the same opportunity. Repeat this drill at least three times.
Tips
Before practice, have your players stretch all their muscles, but especially those in the lower half of the body. Players should stretch their calf muscles, quadriceps, thighs and glutes before strenuous running and sprinting.

Building Offensive and Defensive Skills in Soccer


Soccer youth coaching tips and drills can help you improve your players' offensive and defensive skills. In addition to working on their on-field technique and precision, soccer drills can help to improve their overall speed and in-game endurance. Drills can range from scoring drills to full-game simulations. While winning is important, establishing player fundamentals and teamwork is essential to youth soccer coaching.
Soccer Kicking Technique
Have your team line up 10 feet in front of the goal. Place a ball down on the ground, and have one player step out of line and prepare to kick the ball. On your whistle, have the player run toward the ball at an angle, then plant his back foot and swing his shooting leg at the ball. Since the player has approached the ball at an angle, he can rotate his body into the shot and get more power behind it. According to Soccer Practice Books, it is important to make contact with the ball at its lowest point for increased height and distance.
Cone and Pass Relay Race
This relay race drill can help improve your players' dribbling skills as well as their ability to pass on the move. Place two cones 10 feet apart. One cone is the start cone, and the other is the turn cone. Break your team up into groups of three, and have them line up at the start cone. Stand 5 feet from the start cone with a stopwatch, and blow your whistle to signal the first team. Have one player from the first team dribble to the turn cone, turn and dribble back to his teammates, who each do the same thing. The team with the fastest time wins the race.
World Cup Soccer Drill
This drill will help improve your player's scoring ability inside the penalty box. Break your team down into four teams of three, making sure that each team wears a different jersey. Have one goalie defend against all shots on goal. On your whistle, kick a ball into the penalty box, and have each team try to score a goal. The last team to score a goal gets eliminated from the first round. In the second round, the last team to score a goal is eliminated. In the final round, the first team to score two goals wins the "world cup."

Introducing Kids to Soccer Basics


Soccer is a sport that takes athleticism, enthusiasm and skill to play. When young people take up the game, they are usually long on enthusiasm but need to be given tips on nearly every skill needed to play. While there is a lot of work to do, it doesn't have to be complicated, and it always should be fun.
Dribbling Improvement
To control the ball when dribbling, it's important for youngsters to realize that it's about control and not speed. Speed when dribbling comes as a player makes progress, but it's vital to emphasize control. One of the best ways to do this is with four cones spaced every 3 yards. Give the youngster the ball at midfield and have him dribble the ball to the right of the first cone, the left of the second, the right of the third and the left of the fourth and then dribble straight back to midfield. Emphasize using the inside portion of both feet to dribble around the cones. This will help the young player use the right technique.
Passing Accuracy
Give one of your young players the ball and have five teammates line up about 10 yards away spaced every 10 feet. On your command, the youngster will pass to whichever teammate you name. When he can make five consecutive accurate passes, he switches places with one of his teammates. Always pass with the instep when teaching youngsters how to pass properly. Passing with the outside portion of the foot comes a bit later.
Shooting the Ball
Goaltenders at all levels say the placement of the shot often makes it more difficult to handle than the velocity. Set up three cones in each of the lower corners of the net. Give the player six shots and ask him to knock one of the three cones on the right side down with his first shot and then one of the three down on the left side. Keep going until he has taken six shots and then give another youngster a chance to shoot. If a player knocks down a cone, pick it back up before he shoots in that direction again. The key is to emphasize looking at the target when the youngster shoots and not looking at the ball.

4 Tips to Take Your Soccer to Next Level


If you are one of your team's most versatile players, it's likely that your coach will put you in as a winger, also known as a right or left midfielder. Wingers roar up and down the edge of the field, using stamina, speed and skill to bring the ball in to the forwards so they can score. They need to know how to "do it all" except for playmaking, which remains the role of the central midfielder.
Cross the Ball
If your coach wants you to play the "long ball," relying on long passes like teams in England's Premier League, bring the ball down the sideline of the field almost to the end line. From this area in the corner of the field, cross the ball, which means chip it across the goalmouth, to create scoring chances for teammates rushing up the center of the field. Cut the ball back so the ball heads not straight to the goal but on an angle slightly away from it. That way your forward can run onto the ball and give it a good wallop. If your team plays "total football," the Dutch style emphasizing constant involvement by all players, or the American and Latin possession style relying on short passes, bring the ball in to the forwards by dribbling and making short passes.
Help Out Everywhere
Operate as an all-purpose, do-anything player who can go anywhere, relying on your exceptional stamina to run more than any player except perhaps your central defender. Defend against the other team's midfielder playing across from you. Defend against forwards making overlapping runs into your area. Use the sideline as a double team; force the other player away from the middle of the field by blocking her way with your torso and your well-positioned feet, also using jabs at the ball and shoulder charges. Perform overlapping runs via the give-and-go: Dish the ball to your forward and then run in to goal yourself to receive a return ball and score.
Use Speed and Skill
Roar past your rival's midfield. Use your one-on-one dribbling skills to bring the ball down the sideline. Stop and start again and use fakes to get past your defender and accelerate toward the end line or the goal itself. Surprise your opponent by cutting to the inside and drawing the central midfielder or the defense, recommends Jake O'Callaghan at the online site Complete Soccer Guide. If you lack speed, use a strong leg to make crosses; if your leg strength is average, use speed or deception to bring the ball in closer to where you can threaten for a score.
Study Video
To get inspiration you can apply during your matches, watch U.S. star Landon Donovan of the L.A. Galaxy, able to assist or score as needed at the World Cup level, or Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo, who manages prolific scoring as a winger. Or track down historic footage of Marc Overmars of Arsenal and Barcelona, a perpetual motion machine, whose nickname was "the Roadrunner." Draw on their moves when faced with on-field situations that require pro-level response.

Effective Ways to Teach Soccer Drills to Players


Soccer drills are an effective way to teach players the basic skills of the game. Soccer drills don't have to be tough and laborious. Instead, they can be exciting and fun and help players improve while they are having a good time. Soccer drills should emphasize shooting, dribbling and team play.
World Cup Drill
Place four teams of three players in the penalty area. Each team should be wearing a different color jersey. The idea with this drill is that each team has to score a goal. When the first team scores a goal, that team leaves the penalty area, leaving three other teams to attempt to score. When the second team scores, that team leaves the field also. The next team that scores also move out. The fourth team is eliminated. The drill starts again and continues in this manner until only one team is left. That team wins the "World Cup."
Cone Dribbling Drill
All players need to work on their dribbling. Set up a series of five cones starting 10 yards past midfield. Give the player the ball at midfield and have him dribble to the right of the first cone, the left of the second, the right of the third cone and continue in that manner until you are past the fifth cone. Turn around at that point and speed dribble back to midfield. Time each player who does this and add three seconds to their time if they miss any cones. The player who completes the course the fastest wins the drill.
Beat the Defender and Cross
Give your offensive player the ball about 25 yards from the penalty area. In this drill he is supposed to control the ball and dribble it toward the penalty area. A defender will start 10 yards from the player with the ball. The offensive player must get away from the defender so he can deliver a cross into the penalty area and set up a waiting teammate. The offensive player should be successful at least six times out of 10 since he has a 10-yard head start on the defender.

Importance of Aerobics for Soccer Players


Aerobic training is vital for all soccer players. That's not surprising, since players are on the move throughout the game's 90-minute matches. There are no timeouts in soccer, so players don't have the ability to rest and recover. At crucial points in games, it's often the player who is in the best condition who wins the battle for the ball and ends up making the critical play that gives his team a chance to win.
Function
The purpose of an aerobic soccer training program is to help improve the cardiovascular condition of players so they can perform at their highest level during the match's most critical moments. Distance running often provides the best aerobic training for soccer, but long-distance runs must be followed by sprints because that's often what happens in a game. A player might have to suddenly sprint explosively to come up with a pass or loose ball and then cross it into the scoring area for a teammate.
Ball Control
Soccer players need to develop their dribbling skills while working on their aerobic conditioning. To do this, mark off a 15-yard by 15-yard area with cones. You should be using about eight cones to mark this area. Take a soccer ball inside the area and dribble it to the inside of the first cone you reach and then to the outside of the next cone. Continue in this manner until you get to the starting point. Then reverse direction and continue to dribble in this manner as you go in the opposite direction.
Change of Direction and Shoot
Start off about 25 yards from the goal. Dribble at top speed to a cone located 15 yards from the goal. Then dribble to another cone located eight yards to the left of the first cone. Then speed dribble diagonally to a spot five yards to the right of the goal. Then shoot for the far corner of the net. Get back to the end of the line and do this drill at least three times.
Shuttle Sprints
Shuttle sprints help you prepare for the explosive running required in a soccer match. Set up cones at the 15-yard mark, the 30-yard mark and the 50-yard mark on a soccer field. On the coach's whistle, sprint 15 yards up and back, then 30 yards up and back and then 50 yards up and back. Take a two-minute break and then repeat the set.
Conditioning Drill
Having excellent endurance pays off when you sprint, jump and fight for contested balls during a competitive game. Set out five cones as you cross midfield. The first cone should be 10 yards past the midfield line and the other cones should be placed every 10 yards from that point. Start off by jogging from the first cone to the fourth cone and then sprinting to the fifth cone. At that point, take two dribbles with a waiting soccer ball and try to score. Then go back to the starting line, jog from the first cone to the third cone and then sprint to the fifth cone before taking another shot on goal. Go back to the starting point, jog from the first cone to the second cone, sprint to the fifth cone and then take another shot on goal.

4 Soccer Drills for Youngsters


When teaching soccer to young people, drills can be a very effective tool to learn how to pass, shoot, dribble, defend and play goal. The best drills are ones that don't take long to explain and are easy to demonstrate. Your job as coach is to help the young players build their skills and get better. But you must remember that your players are youngsters and allowed to make mistakes and have fun.
Step 1
Teach your young players to dribble effectively. Set up a series of six cones, with each one about 5 yards apart. Have players dribble past midfield, then to the right of the first cone, the left of the second and the right of the third, continuing that pattern. Once the player has dribbled past the last cone, he should speed dribble back to the front of the line and pass the ball to his next teammate.
Step 2
Set up large targets at the four corners of the goal for a drill to give your players confidence while shooting. Have the first player take two shots at the lower left corner, with all teammates following. Repeat to the top left, lower right and upper right. The shooter who hits the most flags wins the drill.
Step 3
Divide the offensive side of the field into two sections and have your players play four-on-three soccer, which emphasizes dribbling, passing, accurate shooting and reading how the defense is playing. Your offensive players should be able to come up with a quality scoring chance at least three times out of four since they have a numerical advantage.
Step 4
Have your players take penalty shots at the goalkeeper to test her in one-on-one situations. A goalkeeper who can stop penalty kicks is a confident player. Making penalty kicks is as much a mental challenge for the shooter as it is a physical one, and the drill teaches the goalkeeper to think along with the shooter and develop fast reactions.

5 Step Running Guide for Soccer Players


While soccer players can dribble, pass and shoot the ball with great skill, the key to any soccer player's game is the ability to run. Soccer players need to be in great condition because they are required to run throughout the game. They need to train for endurance, but also for explosive speed. Players may need to call on that speed late in the game to make a game-changing play. Exercises can help a player prepare for just such situations.
Step 1
Start off at midfield with the ball. Set up a series of six cones, each cone five yards apart. Dribble to the right of the first, the left of the second, the right of the third and continuing in the same pattern. Do this at full speed, then speed-dribble back to the starting point, where you pass the ball to a teammate, who does the same thing. Repeat one more time to build explosive speed and dribbling skills.
Step 2
Run from the end line to the top of the penalty area and back. Then sprint to the 25-meter mark and back, then run to midfield and back. Take a three-minute break and repeat the drill. This will help you build endurance as you run.
Step 3
Lunge as you walk to build leg strength, which can translate into running speed. Start off at the end line and place both hands behind your head. Take a big step forward with your right leg, so the shin of your left leg is almost parallel to the ground. Then take a long step with your left leg so that your right shin is almost parallel to the ground. Walk this way from the end line to the edge of the penalty area, then turn and walk back in the same manner.
Step 4
Run the carioca step to build agility and quickness when you run. The carioca is a lateral movement that requires you to move sideways. As you run to the right, your trail foot crosses over your lead leg as you rotate your hips. Do this from the sideline to midfield, then return to the sideline.
Step 5
Do plyometric jumping to gain explosive speed and endurance. Set up a 15-inch box on a hard surface, away from walls; you don't want to be able to touch any walls for balance or assistance. Stand to the left of the box and jump over it to the right. Jump back to the other side. Do 15 side-to-side jumps and take a one-minute break. Repeat the set. Then do the same exercise by jumping from back to front and front to back.