Functional Training:
When coming in for a fitness consultation, most people usually want to work on weight loss or muscle building. It is rare when a client says that they want to focus on functional training. As a matter of fact, functional training is what most people need to start with when they enter the “fitness world”. Functional training will teach your body to use your muscles to work together in order to perform difficult and challenging tasks.
Why functional training?
Functional training doesn’t just focus on certain muscle groups. The goal is to prepare your body for daily tasks by utilizing and improving similar movements that you might be using at work place, home or while playing your favorite sports. For older clients, functional training is especially important. Simple tasks like reaching up for a bowl on the top shelf, picking up things from the floor, and going up and down stairs could be a challenge. All of these tasks can become easy again if the functional training is included in the workout plans.
Let’s talk about couple of benefits of functional training.
People are created to move. Nowadays a lot more jobs are geared towards sitting still. People sit by their desks for hours, drive from one state to another, and sit in never ending meetings. When you go to the gym or working with your trainer, you want to do the opposite of what you did at work. Machines at the gym might not be the answer. Functional training can help work on all the muscle groups that have been still for all those hours at work.
During the fitness evaluations I see people with bad postures. The treadmill will not be an answer to help correct this. If this sounds like you, then we will have to work on many different exercises that can help correct the muscular imbalances.
Stability is another important aspect of training. Not only do you need stability during your workouts but also in your daily life. Core stability and strength is where I like to start with most of my clients.
If the client comes to me and says that they want to get better at playing a certain sport (ex. soccer, tennis, volleyball, etc.), functional training is where they need to start. This type of training enhances the relationship between the nervous and musculoskeletal system.
What does it mean to you?
- You will be more successful in daily life
- You will get stronger, faster, leaner
- You will improve balance, core stability, strength, and flexibility.