What Is Functional Fitness

A lot of people are talking about the importance of functional fitness, but what is it exactly? Functional fitness focuses on exercises that use similar movements that we do throughout the day for our daily tasks and activities in order to support your daily life. These exercises help to strengthen muscles and help prevent injuries they may include squatting, walking, pulling or pushing.

Why Is It Important

Functional Fitness is important as it can prevent certain injuries that may occur throughout your day to day living such as lifting something heavy, playing with your kids, or reaching for something up on a shelf.

Most functional fitness is based on the idea of building a strong and resilient body, but it also helps to increase your overall strength, flexibility, balance, endurance and benefit your overall health and wellbeing. 

How To Improve Your Functional Fitness

It is actually a lot easier than you might think to improve your overall functional fitness. Think about the movements you do every day - sitting down or getting out of your car is essentially a squat. Other areas to focus on are balance and core strength, which are essential to almost all of our movements. Try to focus on exercises that mimic everyday activities.

Here are a few examples of exercises to improve your functional fitness:

Planks

  1. Start in a push-up position from your feet or from your toes with your hands directly under your shoulders. 

  2. Think about engaging your entire body and brace your core without compromising your breath. 

  3. Hold for 30 seconds or even up to a minute.

Banded Bent Over Row

  1. Place one end of the band under your right foot and hold the other end in your right hand.

  2. Stand with your feet hip width and a flat back as you bend over (about 45 degrees).

  3. Engage your core as you bend your elbow and pull the band towards your chest and then lower back down.

Squats

  1. Stand with your feet slightly wider than hip width apart.

  2. Set your hips back and bend your knees like you are sitting into a chair.

  3. Keep your heels on the ground, knees pushing outwards and your chest upright.

  4. Straighten your legs to lift back up.