“Plyos” or plyometrics are exercises involving explosive movements. They are used by athletes to better their performance in sports, especially those hinging on speed and power.

Plyos mimic the motions produced by sports including basketball, volleyball, tennis, football, skiing and boxing. The exercises are perfect for athletes looking to pursue a diligent exercise regime. By featuring rapid-fire movements, plyometrics are capable of jamming a high-intensity workout into a few quick workout sets.

If this sounds like you, then maybe it’s time you weave these sorts of exercises into your routine. After doing so, you should find that they give you more thrust. Typical plyos include squat jumps, knee tuck jumps popular with martial artists, single leg hops, incredibly testing zigzag hops and box jumps. Oh, and don’t forget “bounding,” which is exactly what it sounds like – a series of running jumps that may demand a sandpit.

The term plyometrics was dreamed up by the former US Olympic long-distance runner Fred Wilt. Wilt concocted it after witnessing some Russian athletes perform jumps in their track-and-field event warm-ups while their American rivals just stretched. The ill-named Wilt worked out that the reason that the Russians shone in many events was their dynamic jump training routine.

Besides buoying your capacity for explosive movement, plyos boost your balance and agility. Better yet, they literally put a spring in your step – putting more bounce in your gait and making you look and feel more confident. For an exercise that few people have even heard of, plyometrics has a lot going for it.

So, if you are already well-conditioned, get bounding, skipping and leaping.