Functional training is a form of exercise that imitates everyday movements and is suitable for everyone looking to move easily. However, the human body needs some strength to function correctly, thus the need for Functional Strength Training. So, what is functional strength training?

Functional strength training is a kind of exercise that concentrates on building strength in patterns needed in everyday movements. This exercise involves gymnastic moves, light weights, and aerobic training. From this definition, the word functional shows how this exercise will improve your body functionality. On the other hand, the word strength highlights how this training will help you achieve the strength required in your everyday life.

Who is fit for functional strength training?

Functional strength training is fit for everyone since it prepares participants for their everyday lives. Think of walking to the grocery, carrying the groceries home, sitting and getting up from a seat, and going upstairs. These are the daily activities functional strength training aims at helping you do them with ease.

How do you perform functional strength training?

One of the best aspects of functional strength training is that it requires minimal equipment. The idea behind functional strength training is to improve the six-movement patterns, which include:

• Squat
• Bend
• Push
• Pull
• Lunge
• Core work

This movement training can be done in various environments, including a functional fitness gym, school recreational center, or anywhere with some space and free weights. However, how you start functional training will depend on your past training history. You may want to consult a functional strength training expert if you are a beginner.

Differences between strength training and functional strength training

The difference between strength and functional strength training is their targeted results. Unlike strength training, which aims at increasing overall muscle strength, functional strength training aims at improving the strength of muscles throughout a specific and useful range of motion. In other words, functional strength training helps you achieve the strength needed to execute your day-to-day activities.

Therefore, workouts that focus on particular body parts or the appearance of muscles are not functional training exercises. However, you can incorporate functional strength training into your regular workouts.

How to promote functional strength training outcomes?

As stated earlier, functional strength training revolves around the six movement patterns of human beings (squat, push, pull, bend, lunge, and core). In this case, the outcome of functional strength training depends on personal goals and how often they exercise. However, there are ways to promote your functional strength training and achieve your desired body functioning. Check them out:

1. Combine Multiple Exercises

Functional strength training prepares your body for daily activities, especially when moving or lifting items. This means you must achieve all-around fitness to achieve a fully active life. But while you may have a specific concern with bending, walking, or squatting, combing multiple exercises will help you achieve the strength, stability, and ease needed to execute your day-to-day activities.

2. Identify Areas of Concern

People have different functioning concerns due to the nature of work, age, or health conditions. In this case, identifying your area of concern will help you do the most appropriate exercise to improve it. For example, if you are having difficulties getting up from a seat, squatting exercises can help you achieve ease when sitting and getting up from your chair.

3. Use Appropriate Equipment

While functional strength training does not involve complex training machines, you must lift some weight to achieve a certain level of muscle strength. Think of lifting luggage off the ground, carrying a sleeping child to bed, or moving furniture. It would be best to incorporate deadlifting and other weight-lifting exercises into your functional strength training routine to perform such activities. In addition to training your muscles to lift significant weights, it helps you gain stability when doing these activities.

4. Prioritize Safety

Functional strength training usually is safer than traditional strength training or bodybuilding. However, it still carries the risk of injuries hence the need for functional strength training supervision or instructions. Some exercises, such as farmer’s walk, bear crawl, and walking lunge, may not require professional supervision. However, weight lifting, such as deadlifting, requires guidance to ascertain the most appropriate weight depending on your training level (beginner, intermediate, or advanced).

Benefits of Functional Strength Training

Functional strength training trains your body to work without strain and difficulties. If you are a beginner at functional strength training, these are some of the benefits you should expect:

• Active Life: Functional strength training aims to train and strengthen the muscles needed for movement and daily activities. For example, elderly citizens are likely to experience difficulties when sitting or getting up from a seat. As a result, most will avoid these movements to avoid the discomforts that come with them. However, functional strength training such as squatting exercises can help an older adult achieve ease with daily activities such as sitting, standing, bending, etc.
  
• Balance & Coordination: One of the setbacks of aging is losing balance and coordination. Illnesses or injuries can also make your body part lose coordination. Functional strength training helps your body parts to coordinate and work together smoothly. Therefore, it would be best to consider functional strength training exercises to avoid or recover from poor body coordination and balancing. If well and regularly done, functional strength training can help you recover your normal body functionality.
  
• Injury prevention: Living an inactive life will make you weak and prone to injuries from falling or lifting items off the ground, thus hurting your spine. Most people suffer from back pain from lifting weights or carrying relatively heavy loads. Although plenty of medications and supplements promise to cure such pain, functional strength training can help your body become strong, thus preventing injuries.
  
• Promotes Healthy Body Weight: When people think of losing body weight, they think of reducing calorie intake and enrolling in a weight loss program. But while these approaches can help achieve your desired body weight, functional strength training can promote the process. Besides helping you achieve a strong and stable body for your daily movement, functional strength training exercises also burn calories, thus reducing excessive fats.

Whether you want to improve your mobility, strength, coordination, or balance, functional strength training can help you achieve them all. However, it would be best to consult functional strength training experts to help choose an appropriate program.

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