Functional Training - What and Why?
As long as I can recall, the fitness space has been filled with a plethora of fads, buzzwords, and an endless supply of unsupported promises that ‘this’ is the latest, greatest solution to becoming your best self. It can be a bit overwhelming to navigate, especially when all you may really want to do is improve your level of fitness, be active without injury, maybe shed a few pounds, tone up, or move and feel better. You also may be frustrated by past experiences that were not what you expected and/or simply were not the right fit for YOU. And that is exactly where functional training enters the equation.
So what is functional fitness training? It’s actually one of the oldest and most common types of training around and got its beginnings in the physical rehabilitation field. Physical therapists used the approach to improve patient recovery after injury or disability. Specific exercises were developed to help patients regain function and return to activities of daily living. From this start, functional training has been embraced by fitness professionals and morphed into predominantly weight-bearing exercises that simulate everyday movements and target core strength. The main idea is to improve your ability to perform your everyday activities, so we structure a program to match those requirements. While you might immediately think of things you do every day like walking, going up stairs, bending over to pick things up, or reaching for something overhead, functional movement can also be performance- or sports-based training.
It's quite literally fitness with a function, or goal, in mind.
Functional training is not meant to be delivered as one-size-fits-all, but rather as a customized program to meet your needs and goals as an individual. As with all exercise, it’s important to check with your healthcare provider if you’re starting a new fitness program or have medical issues that may impact your ability to exercise safely. Avoid jumping into a functional training routine at a level that puts you at risk for injury. Increase your intensity slowly, allowing time for your body to adapt to new movements. Almost anyone can incorporate functional training into their fitness program, and working with a fitness professional is one of the best ways to ensure that your routine is safe and effective.
I follow the NASM Optimum Performance Training (OPT) Model, which progresses individuals through five distinct, yet complementary, training phases. Phase 1 is the foundation of the entire OPT™ Model and is geared towards promoting muscular endurance and proper technique through slower movement, lower intensity and reduced weight. Your functional training plan progresses through these phases (as appropriate for your goals/abilities):
Phase 1: Stabilization Endurance
Phase 2: Strength Endurance
Phase 3: Muscular Development/Hypertrophy
Phase 4: Maximal Strength
Phase 5: Power
So rather than going to the gym for “leg day” or “chest day” where you’re targeting a single muscle or muscle group is a specific area of the body, you work more efficiently with exercises that target more than one muscle or muscle group at a time. We build a program around functional exercises that support four primary areas: balance, flexibility, strength, and endurance. The movement patterns of these exercises fall into the following categories:
Hinge
Squat
Lunge
Push
Pull
Twist (rotate)
Gait/Carry
It works! (and it’s fun as well)- we have lots of options for variety and for progressing the workouts as you adapt. That’s the what; now for the why. Functional exercises teach your body to work as a whole rather than training specific parts. Strengthening the whole body in this way has many benefits for your health. Here are a few:
Improved endurance
Added muscle strength (especially core!)
Greater muscle memory
Improved flexibility
Better coordination & balance
Lower impact to the body
Increased independence
Targets several muscle groups at a time
Reduced risk of falls
Are you convinced yet? Functional training is not a fad. It is evidence-based and proven and you can benefit greatly from it..and do it safely! Who benefits most from functional training? Pretty much everyone but it is especially effective for seniors interested in improving stability, bone density, mobility and overall fitness!