FUNCTIONAL EXERCISES: DISCOVER THE WAY TO PERFORM YOUR DAILY CHORES EFFICIENTLY WITHOUT GETTING TIRED!

We all at some point or the other have desired to develop python like muscles, similar to Arnold Schwarzenegger and kick some ass. But let’s be honest about the fact, that the probability of us, getting paid as a muscle bound barbarian on camera is less likely.

Arnold-Schwarzenegger-showing-his-muscles

Yet, we all face the probability of lifting heavy objects in our daily life. Consider the big garbage bag we heave till the dumpster or the overstuffed recliner we carry with our buddy up 3 flights of stairs. We all face battle against heavy objects, where our strength is tried and tested.

So, in order to perform your daily chores in a more efficient manner, you need to train your body accordingly. Your fitness related goals should include some form of functional training, which aid in real life movements and increasing stamina for optimum performance.

 

WHAT ARE FUNCTIONAL EXERCISES?

Functional exercises include those which condition and train your muscles to work together. Thereby, preparing them for daily tasks. Functional training not only strengthens the upper and lower body muscles, but also focuses on building core stability.

For example, a pull up is a functional exercise because it trains the muscles used for lifting objects and supporting your own weight.

Athlete-using-ninja-360-grips-to-perform-pull-ups

By training your muscles, to work the way they do when you perform common tasks; you prepare your body to perform well, in a variety of common situations.

BENEFITS OF FUNCTIONAL EXERCISES:

Functional Training is not just a buzzword gaining popularity nor is it a trending ‘fad’ in the gym world. In fact, functional training is the shift in the overall thought process of the fitness industry. People have clearly understood the importance of fitness and everyday life.

There are numerous benefits for performing functional training, but we are listing a few of them to convince you of its awesomeness:

  • FUNCTIONAL EXERCISES INCREASES THE EASE OF EVERYDAY LIFE:

These are easy and low impact, making it suitable for everyone who want to increase the ease of everyday life. Functional training targets movements which are part of our everyday routine, thereby making its benefits outweigh those of conventional training.

  • FUNCTIONAL TRAINING IS LOW IMPACT:

These exercises are low impact which make them ideal for everyone. No matter what stage of the fitness journey you are on, you can easily research and perform functional exercises and improve your physical abilities.

  • FUNCTIONAL EXERCISES INCREASE FLEXIBILITY:

Functional training plays a key role in increasing the overall flexibility and coordination of your body. The reason being that the range of motion in functional exercises is quite large, which means that you need to start and finish in a position where the muscle is stretched. This leads to increase in flexibility.

  • FUNCTIONAL TRAINING IMPROVES POSTURE:

The exercises implemented in functional training, work on multiple muscles to enhance your strength and balance. This leads to improving your overall posture. Besides this, functional exercises are based on the principle of instability. Instability exercises ensure that you recruit small muscle groups to support the large muscle groups. This ensures that over training of one muscle does not occur which can lead to incorrect posture. Great posture is the foundation to all things and functional training helps in boosting state of balance in a body.

  • FUNCTIONAL EXERCISES RELIEVE JOINT AND CHRONIC PAINS:

They help in relieving back, muscle and joint pain. Functional fitness bridges the gap between personal training and physical therapy. It is ideal for people suffering from chronic pains and unable to perform simple daily life tasks. Functional training ensures that your body adapts to the movements which are part of your everyday routine and you are able to perform these tasks easily and comfortably.

  • FUNCTIONAL EXERCISES REDUCE THE RISK OF INJURY:

These exercises reduce the risk of injury because they not only strengthen the muscles; but also it’s surrounding ligaments, which are often the main points of injury. Sport enthusiasts and runners tend to wither in pain on a bad day. But, functional training can reduce the risk of injury and stress. As they mimic everyday movement patterns, the body becomes accustomed to coping with daily stresses.

HOW TO PERFORM FUNCTIONAL TRAINING:

We can do functional fitness exercises at home or at the gym. Gyms may offer functional fitness classes or incorporate functional fitness into boot camps or other types of classes. Exercise tools, such as fitness balls, kettle bells and weights, pull up handles are often used in functional fitness workouts.

You can incorporate a number of different exercises in your workout like pull ups, pushups, squats, lunges, bench presses and reversed rows which work really well to develop your functional strength.

Wrapping up, make functional training a part of your workout regime as it offers numerous benefits. No matter how fit you are, you can perform functional exercises and improve your overall strength and functional state of your body. Not only this but those who are suffering from chronic pains can also take the help of functional training to reduce it and improve their lives.