Training Your Body to Function the Way It’s Supposed To

Odds are you don’t live to exercise, unless maybe you are an athlete. For most people, exercise is a way to improve or maintain their quality of life. That’s where functional fitness comes in. Functional fitness exercises train your muscles to help you do everyday activities safely and efficiently. They are designed to make everyday activities easier and more efficient to perform, like carrying groceries, walking up-stairs or throwing a baseball with the kids. 

So what is functional fitness training?

Functional fitness is based on the idea of training muscles to prepare for daily tasks by simulating common movements you might do at home, at work or during sports activities. While using various muscle groups in the upper and lower body at the same time, functional fitness exercises also emphasize on stability and range of motion. According to WebMD.com, functional fitness is focused on building a body capable of doing real-life activities in real-life positions, not just lifting a certain amount of weight in an idealized posture created by a gym machine. 

Functional fitness is based on four planes of motion. Forward, backward, sideways and rotation. These motions focus on working the entire body in a coordinated manner, training more for movement than isolated muscle groups. The motions incorporated in functional fitness use multiple joints and muscles. Movements like bending, reaching, lifting and pulling will be made easier with functional fitness integrated into your exercise routine. This type of training can make everyday functions and activities easier, while reducing the risk of injury and improving overall quality of life.

The squat, for example, is a functional fitness exercise because it directly relates to the way you rise up and down from a chair or pick up objects low to the floor. By training your muscles to work the way they do in everyday tasks, you prepare your body to perform well in a variety of common situations. Functional fitness exercises can be done at home or at the gym. Utilize body weight exercises like pushups lunges or squats or use resistance bands and dumbbells to up the intensity on certain motions. This type of training may be especially beneficial as part of a comprehensive program for a range of people from older adults to athletes, improving balance, agility and muscle strength. Before you can move freely in your everyday life and beyond without worrying about injury, you have to nail the basics. Functional fitness will help you to master and maintain your strength, balance and coordination, power, range of motion and mobility. 

Is functional fitness for you?

 It’s a good idea to start with bodyweight exercises and add weight and resistance as you become more fit and need an added challenge. As you add more functional fitness exercises to your routine, you should see improvements in your ability to perform everyday activities as well as overall quality of life and comfort. With every new type of exercise its important to start at a beginners pace. If functional fitness sounds like something you might be interested in, consider how you will be completing these exercises. While success can be achieved at the gym unsupervised, be mindful of injury and consider working with a trainer to master your functional fitness movements in a safe and monitored environment. 

Whatever method you choose to start your functional fitness journey, it is sure to optimize your performance both inside and outside of the gym. If you are looking for training in the field of functional fitness and beyond, look no further than Core Progression Elite Personal Training. Each training program is catered to the needs and goals of the individual, giving you an unparalleled results driven training experience. Visit coreprogression.com for locations closest to you.