Put the fun in FUNctional fitness
28 Jan 2025 by Ted Escobedo 2 min read
Functional fitness is any form of physical activity that prepares the body to handle real-world activities, including daily tasks like carrying groceries and climbing stairs. The goal is to train the body in a way where muscles learn to work together, produce more complex movements, and keep us safe.
For example, even a simple bicep curl can be seen as functional because it strengthens a muscle involved in pulling motions. An overhead press is also functional because it makes us better able to lift heavy objects overhead. That could certainly come in handy the next time you want to stuff a heavy suitcase in the overhead bin of an airplane or train.
Deadlifts? Those are fantastic for learning to lift heavy objects off the floor safely. That might not seem like much, but countless people injure themselves precisely by lifting heavy objects with poor form.
There are a couple components of functional fitness. Before you can move freely in your everyday life without worrying about injury, you must nail the basics. These include strength, balance/coordination, power, range of motion, and mobility. Zeroing in on these aspects of your training will have numerous benefits that translate to your everyday life. Movements such as walking, jogging, running, sprinting, jumping, lifting, pushing, pulling, bending, twisting, turning, standing, starting, stopping, climbing, and lunging, according to the American Council on Exercise, will be made easier while training to improve functional strength.
Functional fitness is a type of exercise that supports your everyday life. It includes movements such as walking, pushing, pulling, bending, squatting, lunging, and core. These exercises improve functional strength.
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