When I first started my fitness journey, all I cared about was having those sculpted arms, toned legs, and chiselled abs. I mean, who doesn’t want to look good, right? However, I became aware of a glaring gap in my workout routine after a mishap while attempting to move a heavy suitcase up and down the stairs when travelling. Sure, I could hold a plank for 2-3 minutes, but moving a heavy suitcase around or getting something down from a high shelf became challenging. That’s when I was introduced to the world of functional fitness.
What on Earth is Functional Fitness?
Functional fitness, in its simplest definition, is training your body for real-life activities. It’s about building a physique that can handle everyday tasks whether it’s carrying groceries, or even climbing a flight of stairs without panting like you’ve run a marathon.
Why Is It So Important?
1. Mimicking Real-Life Movements: Half of the time, the traditional gym workouts isolate a single muscle group. But when was the last time you used just one muscle in your daily activities? Functional fitness assures that various muscle groups work in harmony to replicate daily tasks.
2. Injury Prevention: Since functional workouts mimic everyday activities, they help prepare our bodies to perform these movements in real-life settings. This means less strain on our muscles and joints when doing regular movements, which prevents injuries.
3. Improved Flexibility and Balance: These exercises, which usually involve multiple planes of motion, promote flexibility, balance, and coordination.
Everyday Movements as Exercises
To give you a taste, here are some unique functional exercises based on everyday actions:
1. Suitcase Squats
Daily Activity: Picking up one-sided heavy loads, like grocery bags from the car or a toddler on one hip.
2. Bear Crawl
Daily Activity: Playing with kids or pets on the floor or searching for items under furniture
3. Lateral Lunge with Bicep Curl
Daily Activity: Side-stepping obstacles while carrying items or moving sideways to reach something while holding onto an object.
4. Plyo Step-Up with Knee Drive
Daily Activity: Climbing stairs, especially in a hurry, or stepping up onto higher platforms like a bus or train.
5. Squat to Rotational Press
Daily Activity: Lifting objects from the ground and placing them on a counter diagonally, or transferring laundry from a basket to a machine.
Blending Functional Fitness to My Workout Routine
You know, I was all about lifting the heaviest weights and hitting personal records since I started working out. I thought I was strong enough to go on a solo trip to Europe. But no, I was dying carrying my heavy luggage around, and that’s when I knew something had to change.
Then, I learned about functional fitness, and it was a game-changer. Now, not only do I feel stronger at the gym, but I also find that everyday activities from lifting heavy groceries to chasing my little cousin in the park are so much easier.
But hey, I still love the look of toned arms and sculpted legs, so I haven’t given up on my single muscle group exercises. So, the next time you work out, ask yourself – am I just training to look good, or am I training to make my day-to-day life easier?
Join me in this journey of functional fitness. Trust me, your future- self will thank you when you can carry two heavy grocery bags and a toddler without breaking a sweat!