Trade In Your Typical Workouts For Functional Training Instead: Here Are The Benefits

When it comes to exercise, many people think about hitting the gym and lifting weights. While this type of exercise is certainly effective, there is another approach that can be just as beneficial.

Functional training focuses on movements that mimic activities you do in everyday life, such as squatting, bending, and lifting. In this article, we’ll explore the benefits of training your whole body and how it can improve your daily life.

IMAGE: UNSPLASH

Functional Training Defined

The goal of functional training is to improve strength, flexibility, mobility, balance, and coordination, all of which are important for performing everyday tasks with greater ease and reducing the risk of injury.

Instead of using a normal physical fitness style of training like isolating muscle groups, these exercises typically involve multiple joints and muscle groups working together.

For example, a functional exercise might involve a squat with an overhead press, which works the legs, core, and upper body all at once, mimicking the movement of lifting a heavy object overhead.

For people who want to improve their strength in doing daily tasks, there are a lot of benefits to this type of training. It can include a wide range of exercises and activities, including bodyweight exercises, resistance training, balance and stability exercises, and cardiovascular fitness.

It can be done with little to no equipment, making it a great option for at-home workouts, or it can be incorporated into a gym routine using equipment such as dumbbells, resistance bands, or medicine balls.

A good gym membership will give you access to all the equipment you need to perform workouts that improve your everyday life.

Improved Mobility And Flexibility

Functional training can help improve your mobility and flexibility, which are both important for everyday activities. If you have tight hip flexors, you may have difficulty getting up from a chair or climbing stairs.

By incorporating exercises that target your hip flexors, and your core muscles, you can improve your mobility and make these activities easier. Similarly, improving your flexibility can help you avoid injury and improve your range of motion.

These are helpful for people after surgery or to improve strength before going in for a surgical procedure.

Increased Strength And Endurance

When you want to improve strength and endurance doing a particular activity, you don’t want a general workout routine. Instead, you want one that focuses on helping you build up the exact muscles you need by performing exercises with weights while mimicking the motions.

For example, lifting heavy grocery bags or carrying a child can require a significant amount of strength. By incorporating exercises that target your upper body while doing these motions, you can increase your strength and make these activities easier.

In addition, functional training can improve your endurance, allowing you to perform these behaviors for longer periods of time without getting tired.

Better Balance And Stability

Balance and stability are critical especially as we get older. Doing functional exercises can improve both. The most important way that they help people as they age is to reduce the risk of falls that can result in broken bones and major injuries.

For example, if you trip or slip on a wet surface, having good balance and stability can help you avoid a fall or help you fall more gracefully.

Exercises that focus on balance and stability, such as balance board exercises, can help improve your proprioception or your body’s sense of where it is in space. This can help you avoid falling falls and perform everyday tasks with greater ease.

Improved Posture

Most people think good posture is just something you do for politeness. Many people were yelled at by their grandma and told not to slouch and just shrugged it off as unimportant. It was actually good health advice.

Functional training can help you improve your posture, which is important for preventing back pain and other injuries. Poor posture can lead to muscle imbalances and aches and pains in the neck, shoulders, and back.

Exercises that target your core, such as planks, can help improve your posture and prevent these types of injuries. In addition, exercises that focus on upper body strength, such as rows or pull-ups, can help prevent rounded shoulders and other postural imbalances.

Greater Confidence And Independence

One of the most important benefits of this style of training is the sense of confidence and independence it can give you. By improving your strength, mobility, and balance, you can do normal routines with greater ease, less pain, and more independence.

This can be especially important as you age and may need to rely on your own strength and mobility to perform everyday activities.

IMAGE: UNSPLASH

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