Before you ever hit the gym, your muscles are working hard. That’s because living everyday life takes strength and effort physically. To get from one spot to another, you’re working your muscles. To do something as simple as making a snack, your body has to work.
Functional training capitalizes on the fact that you already have muscles that work hard and that you already exercise just by living. As a result of this kind of training, you have a stronger foundation to build off of.
What is Functional Training?
Defined as movement or exercise intended to improve your ability to complete regular activities, functional training ensures that your “everyday muscles” are strengthened. As a result, your body is better equipped to meet specific fitness goals.
How Does Functional Training Work?
Since functional training is all about equipping your “everyday muscles,” it isn’t complex. The exercises activate the same muscles you use for things like sitting, standing, or lifting groceries and other ordinary things. Most of the exercises are familiar because many are learned in school gym classes.
What Kinds of Exercises Do You Do?
Some of the top functional training exercises include:
- Pushups
- Lunges
- Squats
- Deadlifts
- Rows
- Planks
There are many variations of these exercises that make them more effective for strengthening your muscles. For example, there are reverse lunges, side lunges, overhead dumbbell lunges, lunges with reach, etc.
Functional training also adds kettlebells, weights, stability balls, or resistance bands to these exercises, you take them to the next level.
What are the Benefits?
There are a ton of benefits to functional training. Functional training does the following things:
- Strengthens muscles you already use
- Uses multiple joints and muscles
- Focuses on major muscle groups
- Makes everyday life healthier and easier
- Improves repetitive motion safety for athletes
- Enhances balance, strength, agility, and flexibility
- Can reduce the risk of injury in everyday life and in sports
- Relieves stress while alleviating some pain
- Increases muscle ability to recover from injury
- Takes endurance to the next level
Where Can You Perform Functional Training?
While some functional training exercises can be performed anywhere because they simply rely on bodyweight, others require equipment or coaching. Texas Family Fitness, for example, has the equipment and instruction you need to capitalize on this smart form of training.
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