Functional fitness is a category of training that prepares the body for daily movements in real life. This fitness classification helps to train your muscles to work together cohesively by simulating common movements someone would perform at work or home. Some of the movements include squatting, pulling, lifting, and reaching. Functional training helps you live a longer and better life and makes daily routines more manageable and more efficient. Below, we will look into what makes up functional training and how it came to be, as featured in an article on Opex Fit.
Exercises in functional fitness help to improve functional strength. You can complete activities such as pulling, lunging, bending, core workouts, pushing, and walking, for example. Functional training is deeply rooted in all of us, and we are all capable of harnessing these abilities and work our muscles in the way they were intended for. Functional fitness comprises therapy and rehabilitation, attempting to make standing, climbing, and jumping much easier and more efficient. Many people start incorporating functional fitness into their lives after surgery or an accident so that returning to daily life will be smoother. Functional training can also be tailored towards specific instances such as recently having a child.
Functional training began as a three-tiered process. First, trainers started to leave gyms, opt for less cardio-heavy workouts, and used less strength training equipment. The next phase occurred when people began involving themselves in classes revolving around boot camp and outdoor activities using suspension training and bodyweight exercises. The final phase was the evolution of functional training using fitness rigs, “ninja warrior training,” obstacle course racing, and more. As a result, functional training improves muscle memory, increases mobility, improves balance and posture, and reduces the risk of injury during exercising and everyday life tasks.
Functional training is quite different from other forms of exercise. For example, functional fitness is different from weight training because weights focus on one muscle at a time, you are in a seated or supported position, and your range of motion is restricted. The difference between functional and CrossFit or group training is that functional fitness is more successful when you complete it in an individualized manner. Bodybuilding contrasts functional training in that they focus on specific muscle groups and train primarily for their performance on stage.