Have you wondered what the “buzz” is around “functional fitness?” Do you know what the term means?
The Mayo Clinic defines: functional fitness exercises train your muscles to work together and prepare them for daily tasks by simulating common movements you might do at home, at work or in sports. While using various muscles in the upper and lower body at the same time, functional fitness exercises also emphasize core stability.
Simply put: functional fitness training consists of full-body movements in multiple planes of motion that mirror the activities you do in daily life: such as squatting, lunging, pushing, pulling, and twisting. You squat every time you get down to pick something up off the floor. You twist your torso to get out of your car and you push with your arms and chest to shut the car door. A lunge is an exaggerated form of your walking gait.
Why should you care? Well, here are a few benefits:
• Body moves more comfortably overall
• Can protect you from injury within exercise and in everyday life
• Improves your posture
• Betters balance
• Generally improves your quality of life!
Examples: Getting out of the water on to a boat, kayak tipping, balance and tripping/falling, groceries, picking up children or grandchildren (or, if you’re like me, the dog) 😉
