What is Functional Fitness?

What is Functional Fitness?

Functional training can look like many different things… From an indoor gym to a public beach, from squats and deadlifts to tire flips, and from explosive movements to “slow & steady” movements.

So rather than trying to describe what functional training looks like, we will instead specify that the goal of functional training is to perform and function better in your day-to-day life.

Having an adequate level of functional fitness enables you to perform daily movements with ease and with good range-of-motion. This includes, walking, running, jumping, squatting, bending, lifting, picking things up and putting things down, raising things above your head, twisting, turning, and so on.

Put very simply, functional training is keeping your body in good, functional condition. In keeping our bodies in good shape, we end up experiencing lower risk of injury and disease, improved mobility and range-of-motion, more strength, and thanks to all of this, a better quality of life.

Many people tend to believe that functional training is the same as crossfit or bodybuilding style workouts. This is actually quite inaccurate. Functional training focuses on movement patterns, coordination, balance, and overall body awareness, and not so much on strength or muscle growth. Core strength and stability are also priority.

Why is Functional Fitness so important?

Your level of functional fitness will affect your quality of life as you get older.

Unfortunately, the negative effects of aging are a reality and cannot be avoided. Decreased mobility, energy, strength, bone density… These are all things that we will have to face at some point. Your level of functional fitness will determine how well you manage these things.

For example, performing deadlifts in a gym setting will help you build strength and body awareness when lifting heavy objects, making you less likely to strain your back.

Performing squats will maintain the strength and stability to get up from a sitting position with ease, and push-ups will come in handy as you age and find it more and more difficult to get up off the floor.

If you are interested in a Free Functional Workout, you may email us at info@preachfitness.com with “Functional Workout” in the subject line.