Functional Fitness
Functional Fitness: In Shape for Everyday Life
A lot of people are talking about Functional fitness, but what does this actually mean?
And why should you work out regularly?
For big muscles? To lose weight?
These are all good reasons for some people.
But what about working out so you are better prepared for the activities of everyday life, like carrying in groceries and putting them up? Like having the stamina for those busy days when you have a million and one things to do? Or even carrying stuff up and down the stairs without getting out of breath and exhausted?
That’s the idea behind functional fitness, an approach that’s increasingly popular with all kinds of people, especially who want to maintain their independence and quality of life without spending countless hours in a gym.
Fitness for Life
As we age, we lose muscle mass and bone density. That’s where the fear of frailty comes in. It’s what causes us to worry about falling later in life. It’s also what inhibits us from enjoying activities without getting hurt. Think of the person who can lift really heavy weights at the gym but then throws out his back picking up a suitcase.
Functional fitness helps keep us strong and agile, with the endurance to live life the way we want to – even if “fitness” for its own sake isn’t necessarily the priority.
And, if you’re worried that working out will bulk you up like Arnie or the Incredible Hulk, we can’t stress enough: That’s just not going to happen.
It’s not about getting big muscles. It’s about getting useful muscles…
More and more gym and trainers are now familiar with functional training.
How It Is Different
Comparing functional exercises to traditional weightlifting, which usually focuses on one muscle at a time. You’re often seated, the range of motion is restricted – and the movements are different to those you would actually use in everyday life.
Functional exercises help muscles work together. Body control, mobility, posture, safety and balance are the main goals. Some people who are used to working out on only machines find functional exercise more challenging.
Squats and pushups are good examples. So are lunges, which are common in tasks like vacuuming, housework, DIY or gardening.
It’s about training your body to handle real-life situations; this means exercises focused on building a body that’s capable of doing real-life activities in real-life positions, not just lifting a weights in an unrealistic posture created by a gym machine.
Does functional fitness sound like a good idea for you?
If you want to be more ‘functionally fit’ that’s something I can help you with.
You can get in touch by emailing me at
or Facebook message me
@ninataylorfitness