Scott L. Delp first discovered agility ladders on his high school football team around 50 years ago. Back then, the goal was speedier footwork. Today, at 65, he still uses them to train, but his goals are different.

“People tend to make the same movements over and over” in their daily lives, said Dr. Delp, now a bioengineering professor and the principal investigator of the Neuromuscular Biomechanics Lab at Stanford. Working with an agility ladder can push your nervous system to learn new skills, he said.

Agility is the ability to quickly change direction and speed, and it often diminishes with age. Training it can improve your coordination, balance and reaction time while also decreasing your fall risk.

An agility ladder lies flat on the ground, allowing you to use it for different movement patterns, such as skipping or hopping on one foot, in and out of its squares or up and down its length. “When used at a controlled pace, they help train precise foot placement and reinforce neuromuscular control, skills that are important for reducing fall risk,” Dr. Delp said.

Agility ladders typically cost $10 to $40, but you can easily craft a makeshift one using tape, chalk or tiles on a floor.

A D.I.Y. ladder made of tape or chalk can also help you avoid tripping if you’re new to these movements, said Ryan Whited, a personal trainer in Flagstaff, Ariz. It doesn’t need to be perfect. “Nothing in the real world is symmetrical,” he said.

“These types of workouts are great for the off-the-couch or aging athlete who suddenly becomes a five-day-a-week pickleballer,” he said.

Some agility exercises can be high-impact. If you have severe arthritis or balance issues, be cautious and work with a physical therapist or a trainer to modify the exercises, said Robin Raju, an assistant professor of orthopedics and rehabilitation at Yale School of Medicine.

If you’re new to agility work, start slowly and increase speed gradually, even if you exercise regularly, Mr. Whited said. “Introduce it as you would cayenne or garlic to a recipe,” he said. “Taste it for a while, so you don’t overdo it.”

Overview

Time: 20 to 25 minutes

Intensity: Moderate to High

Rounds: Three to four sets of each drill

What You’ll Need

  • An agility ladder, or create your own with chalk or tape

  • A chair

  • A thick book or a short box, about an inch and a half thick

  • Optional: Light dumbbells or water bottles and a tennis ball

Adjust for You

Scale the moves to your ability and how your body feels. If you are new to agility work, start with the balance-assisted version of the first two drills and use a box instead of the ladder. Once you can perform them without holding onto the chair, you can progress to the other drills.

Fast Feet Forward

Time: 30 seconds, repeated for four sets

Place a box (or the square of a ladder) a little less than an arm’s distance from the back of a chair. If you are new to agility work, using the box can help you get used to lifting your feet quickly, Mr. Whited said, so you’ll be less likely to trip on the rungs once you progress to the agility ladder.

Step your left foot forward onto the box, and then your right. Then step your left foot backward, followed by your right. Continue for 30 seconds. Repeat, starting with the right foot first.

If you feel unstable, hold onto the back of a chair as you perform this drill. Start slow and focus on your foot placement. Gradually increase your speed and land on the balls of your feet.

Fast Feet Sideways

Repetitions: 30 seconds, repeated for three sets

Place your right foot in the middle of the box and your left on the floor. As you step your right foot off to the right side of the box, bring your left foot to the center. Hold the back of the chair for stability as needed. Alternate back and forth for 30 seconds.

In and Outs Forward

Repetitions: Three sets

Once you’re comfortable doing the previous exercises without assistance, progress to these four drills. Stand at one end of the ladder with your feet straddling the outside the first square. Step your left foot into the square, then your right foot, then your left foot out and slightly forward, followed by your right foot. Continue with this movement of in, in, out, out as you move forward toward the end of the ladder. Turn around and repeat but lead with your right foot. This is one set.

In and Outs Sideways

Repetitions: Three sets

This drill is similar to the previous one, except you are moving sideways. Stand on the long side of the ladder, with both feet behind the first square. Step with your left foot forward into the square, and then your right. Step your left foot out and then the right on a slight diagonal, so you are moving sideways up the ladder. Once you reach the end, reverse to lead with your opposite foot. This is one set.

High Knee Ball Pass

Repetitions: Three sets

Skip forward with high knees, placing one foot in each square. Each time you raise your knee, pass a tennis ball under it to your opposite hand. If you don’t have a ball, you can clap your hands under the raised knee. Try to stay upright. Jog back to the start.

Stand at one end of the ladder, with your feet straddling the outside of the first square. Hop your right foot into the first square and raise your left hand in the air. Lower the hand as you jump both feet outside of the next square. Hop your left foot in the square as you raise your right arm. Continue alternating. Turn around and repeat for a total of four times. For an added challenge, hold water bottles or light dumbbells.

On-set trainer: Amanda Katz