A big buzzword thats been floating around for a while now in fitness and exercise circles is "functional." How can we become more "functional" in our training and what exactly does it mean?
The bottom line is this; unless you are training to become a professional bodybuilder, exercising should make your daily life and the things you like to (and have to) do easier. No matter what your fitness level, activity level, or injury history, we can all train to be more competent in the daily "real life" tasks we have to perform. Just incorporating 1 to two functional type exercises in your routine each week will help with that translation into your everyday activities.
Here are just a few examples of functional exercises and their related "real life" move:
Lunge with Medicine Ball Reach - While stepping out into a lunge (to the front, side, or twisting to the back) reach a medicine ball out over your lead toe as if you were picking something up off of the ground and pull it back to the chest as you return to standing position. Repeat this to each side trying to step in differing angles. Perform 10 - 20 repetitions on each side.
Real life move: Picking up a box of files or books, picking up your children's toys, etc.
Medicine Ball Swing Toss - Holding a medicine ball as if you were holding your golf club or tennis raquet, go into your back swing and release the ball to a partner or against a wall as you swing forward as you normally would while playing your desired "swinging sport." Repeat this move with both sides of the body performing 10 - 20 repetitions on each side.
Real life move: Playing golf or tennis
Sqaut with Twisting Bicep Curl - Picture this...you get home from the grocery store and of course you don't want to make two trips into the house from the car, so you load up your arms with all of the plastic bags and lug them to the kitchen only to find that you are too short to just lay them onto the counter top. How do we get them up there? We have to do a bicep curl right, but not only that we have to build up from the ground up because the bags are too heavy! So, here's the move: while holding a dumbell in each hand, bend the knees to a "mini" squat and as we straighten our knees and rotate our torso keeping the core drawn in and tall perform a double bicep curl. Return to center as you lower the dumbells and repeat on the opposite side. Perform 10 - 20 repetitions on each side.
Real Life move: Setting the grocery bags, cases of water, dog food, etc. on the kitchen counter top
Butt-touch Squats - With a chair or bench positioned behind you, squat and sit back until your butt touches the seat and without allowing your bodyweight to fall onto the seat. As soon as your bottom touches the seat, stand up while not allowing your knees to go forward beyond your toes and repeat. Perform 10 - 20 repetitions and add weight if possible to increase the intensity and difficulty.
Real life move: Getting up out of a chair
Calf Raise with Reaching Military Press - Holding dumbells with both hands at chest height, slightly twist to one side while putting most of your weight on 1 leg, go into a calf raise on that leg and as you do so reach/press the dumbells overhead into a military press. Return to center as you lower the dumbells to chest height and repeat to the other side. Perform 10 - 20 repetitions on each side.
Real life move: Placing or removing a box or item onto or from a high shelf
See if you can come up with some of your own functional exercises. What do you do during the day that might be able to be "practiced" in the gym? Incorporate one of these or some of your own moves into your strength training routine and start to feel the immediate benefits. Remember, the path of life is much easier to tread with a strong, healthy body! Oh yeah, HAVE FUN WITH IT!
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