The ability to bench press hundreds of pounds is impressive — no one can really deny it. But unless you’re a competitive lifter, learning its strength, and more specifically lifting motion, isn’t very common in everyday life. But what is functional fitness? This term may seem complicated, but it’s actually a simple concept.
First, find everything you need to know about the types of exercise, including some functional fitness movements that you add to your routine.
What is Functional Fitness?
Functional fitness is the practice of “training and strengthening in a living and moving position,” explains Kimberly Maugeri DC, CCSP, a certified athletic trainer and co-founder of SKOP, a Pilates reformer machine. increase.
please think about it. Even the most enthusiastic gym enthusiasts can accidentally get up and tweak their backs. Then, for example, there are enthusiastic runners who may not pay the necessary attention to their hips and shoulders. We tend not to think of getting down on the couch or lifting groceries as an exercise, but in reality they are the most common type. Unfortunately, forms are often forgotten when these routine tasks are done outside the gym. That’s where functional fitness becomes important.
Functional fitness benefits
“Functional training is important because when you reinforce the pattern of moving and living, its work and strength protect you in your daily life. All of this is hurtful. There is an activity, “Maugeri explains. “Functional training allows us to enhance these movements and learn how to move them correctly.”
Like most workouts, functional fitness works to increase strength and flexibility, but it also creates important muscle memory for everyday life. This improved mobility also helps reduce pain in muscles and joints.
And what’s the best part? Anyone can benefit from it, When Requires zero equipment. “You are the only device you need to practice functional fitness,” says Maugeri. “Each person can benefit from training the right exercise patterns and using the right muscles to exercise efficiently.”
Functional fitness exercise
As long as you pay close attention to shape and muscle involvement, Maugeri says that almost any exercise can be functional fitness. She adds that her most common movements depend on two core functions: central back stability and hip hinges.
Some of her favorites are Pilates, weightlifting, yoga, stretching and TRX. She adds, “I like to start functional workouts with warm-ups and use deep cores and mid-back stabilizers.” “It’s like awakening your muscles and telling them it’s time to be alert!”
Here are some other exercises she and X-Force Gym trainer and owner Roger Schwab recommend to make your workout more functional and fitness-friendly.
- Glute Bridge
- Variations on the board (like a forearm board)
- Squat
- Lunge
- Biceps curl
- Leg extension (using chair or standing)
- Arms cross
- Crunch
Schwab explains that if you can increase your heart rate and maintain it for the duration of the session, it will increase the efficiency of your heart and lungs, which is a bonus. It also contributes to overall health and quality of life.
It may sound too simple, but these basic movements can literally hurt or destroy you if done consciously and consistently. “We often find that we hurt us and blame our training for not seeing the rest of the day,” explains Maugeri. “If you can use your workout to help the rest of the day, it’s longevity and functionality for me.”
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