Functional fitness exercises train muscles for everyday activities…
*Please note this resource is only one small piece of the puzzle.
Highly recommend reading this to understand better.
Fitness is what you need to achieve personal growth.
Before we dive deep, I want you to understand this…
Capable of doing activities in real-life situations safely and efficiently.
What type of functional fitness exercises can you do?
What if you’re not an athlete, do you even need to exercise?
What if most people that exercise want to improve quality of life?
Because that’s the focus of functional fitness…
Conventional weight training is being used to isolate muscle groups.
It doesn’t train muscle groups, we’re isolating to not work together.
Functional fitness exercises make muscles work together…
Functional exercises trains and develop muscles.
This makes it easier and safer to perform everyday activities.
Daily tasks like carrying groceries…
Playing a game of basketball with your kids.
The key to functional fitness exercise is integration.
It’s about training all the muscles to work together.
Instead of isolating them independently.
What is functional fitness training?
Functional fitness exercises train muscles to work together, right?
This prepares muscles for daily tasks.
Simulating common movements you might do at home…
And at work or in sports.
Using various muscles in upper and lower body at the same time.
Functional fitness exercises also amplify core stability.
For example…
A squat is a functional exercise.
Because it trains muscles used when you rise up and down.
Daily tasks from sitting on a chair to picking up objects.
Exercise muscles to move in natural way they’re designed.
You prepare the body to perform in a variety of daily situations.
Functional fitness exercises can be done at home or at the gym.
Gyms may offer functional fitness classes…
Functional fitness in boot camps or other types of classes.
Combining exercise tools like:
- Fitness balls
- Kettlebells
- Indian clubs
- Free-weights
All are often used in functional fitness workouts.
What are the benefits of functional fitness training?
Strong muscles get stronger and weak muscles remain weak.
That means you are training to create a pattern of compensation.
Why integrate functional exercises?
Because it trains isolated muscles how to work together.
Functional exercises use of multi-joint, multi-muscle exercises.
For example:
Instead of only using elbows, functional exercise involve elbows, shoulders, spine, hips, knees and ankles.
This type of training can make your everyday activities easier.
Even reduce risk of injury and improve your quality of life.
Functional exercise training is valued as comprehensive program.
Specifically beneficial for adults to improve:
- Balance
- Coordination
- Agility
- Stability
- Muscle strength
- Reduce risk of injury
What are examples of functional fitness exercises?
Multifaceted physical movements…
These are activities like:
- Tai chi
- Yoga
- Pilates
All involve varying combinations of resistance.
And flexibility training that can help build functional fitness.
Other examples of specific functional fitness movements that use multiple joints and muscles include:
- Multi-directional lunges
- Standing bicep curls
- Step-ups with weights
Multi-directional lunges prepare your body for common activities.
For example, vacuuming and yard work.
To do a lunge, you keep one leg in place.
And step out with the other leg to the front, back or side…
Until knee reaches a 90-degree angle.
And your rear knee is parallel to the floor.
Functional fitness training for sports…
Functional training, if done correctly…
Leads to better joint mobility and stability.
As well as more efficient motor patterns.
Improving these factors reduces risk for an injury…
Injuries can happen as a result of increased performance in a sport.
The benefits of training is to boost body’s natural ability to move.
This is often referred to as six degrees of freedom.
Although on the surface, machines may be safer to use…
A machine’s path of movement is typically in a single plane of motion.
And that isn’t an ideal natural form of movement.
Functional training in evidenced based research for rehabilitation…
We talk about the science behind optimal movement patterns,
It shows task specific training is long-lasting Cortical reorganization…
The brain forms new connections.
And neurons adapt to changes in the body.
It can occur in the sensory or motor systems…
- Sensory input: Sensory systems send signals from sensory receptors (like eyes, ears, skin) to brain through sensory nerves.
- Motor output: Motor systems send signals from the brain to muscles through motor nerves, causing movement.
That is specific to areas of the brain being used with each task…
Studies show larger gains in functional tasks used in rehabilitation.
And are more likely to continue practicing these tasks.
This applies to everyday living with better results.
In reference to 2009 Spennewyn research…
This was published in Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.
Compared functional training to fixed variable training…
This was considered the first research of its type.
They compared the two methods of strength training.
Results of the study…
- Substantial gains and benefits in functional training group over fixed training equipment
- Functional training showed 58% greater increase in strength over the fixed-form group
- Improvements in balance were 196% higher over fixed and reported an overall decrease in joint pain by 30%
Are functional fitness exercises for everyone?
If you are over the age of 40…
But haven’t exercised for some time or have health problems…
Check with doctor before starting a new exercise program.
That is the typical advise, but don’t be misled by inaccurate beliefs.
Similarly, women who are pregnant should check with their doctors.
Exercises that use your own body weight for resistance…
As mobility increases and your body adapts.
You become fit and ready for next level of challenge.
You can add more resistance in the form of weights…
Resistance tubing or performing movements in the water.
Components of a functional exercise program?
To be effective, a functional exercise program should include…
A number of different elements that can be adapted to goals:
- Based on functional tasks aimed at everyday life activities
- Individualized program should be tailored to each individual
- A program must be specific to the goal, focused on a result. It must be specific to level of health, current or history of injury.
- Assessment can be done for exercise selection and training load.
- Integrated to include a variety of exercises for flexibility, core, balance, strength, power, focused on multiple movement planes
- Progressive training steadily increases difficulty of exercise
- Periodized training for specific goal, reduce injury or overtraining
- Repeated exercises frequently
- Self-feedback of success and trainer/therapist
The functional fitness exercise payoff…
As you add more functional exercises to your workout…
You’ll see improvements in ability to do everyday activities.
This is a measurement of improvement in your quality of life.
Would you agree that’s a high return on your exercise investment.
Functional fitness exercises can be right for you if you want to improve your overall health and fitness…
Who Can Benefit From Club Training?
- People struggling with low energy and fatigue
- Athletes wanting to improve endurance and performance
- Anyone seeking improved mental clarity and focus
- Anyone experiencing high levels of stress and burnout
- People wanting a healthy metabolism and body weight
The club can be utilised as an essential functional training tool.
Club training is a natural way to move.
And can be invaluable for identifying muscle weakness.
Check out this other blog post for the benefits of club swinging
Explore exercise options to discover growth and expand your success.