Who needs functional fitness? You probably do.
If you cannot carry out any normal, common, daily functions as effortlessly as you used to, functional fitness can help.
The predominant combination of poor diet and little to no significant physical activity for most modern day humans has caused alarming health concerns to be considered the norm. We accept that obesity, cancer, diabetes, heart disease and other serious health problems are inevitable … a “normal sign of aging”. We would rather sit for hours on end, staring at an electronic display on our television or smart phone, rather than being active.
We choose drive-thru fast foods over healthy foods, calorie and carb-loaded energy drinks over refreshing water or tea, and sugar, salt, flour and trans fats over fresh, nutritious, delicious vegetables, fruits, nuts, berries and healthy fats. Because of these suicidal choices the following statistics are a sobering part of human reality.
- The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases tells us that in 2017, more than 2 in 3 adults in the United States is either overweight or obese. Over 1 in 3 American adults are obese.
- Even more frightening, 1 in 3 US children and adolescents aged 6 to 19 are also overweight or obese.
- Being overweight or obese raises your chances 200% to 500% of developing or experiencing a stroke, type II diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, osteoarthritis, liver disease and many forms of cancer, with all of those conditions qualifying as preventable causes of death.
- At least 1 in 3 men and women over 65 years of age will fall at least once this year. Falling once immediately doubles your risk of falling again. Falls are the most common cause of traumatic brain injuries and mobility-robbing hip fractures for those 65 or older.
- Doctors and other health professionals in the eldercare community believe that much less than half of all falls are reported, so the incidence rate is probably much more problematic than it already appears.
- The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia in the United States predicts conservatively that 1 in every 3 adults will have diabetes by the year 2050.
- More than 1 in 4 people in the US is 50 or older, and for the first time ever (as of 2014), those 65 or older make up the largest group “in terms of size and percent of the population in the United States.”
- Over the course of the next 30 years, the 65+ population in the US will be larger than all of the younger generations.
- After you turn 35, you will lose at least 5% to 10% of your muscle mass every 5 years. This means at 50 you are as much as 30% weaker and less capable than at 35, and up to 50% weaker at 60.
If you think this is solely a United States problem, think again.
The World Health Organization (WHO) reports related epidemic-level health problems in all of the the largest, most modern, advanced countries in the world. Sadly, these issues have even made their way to third world countries that already claim the lowest standards of human existence, and these statistics show the citizens in those impoverished nations are getting sicker and unhealthier still.
However, this does not have to be your life experience.
What is the simple, free, portable, do-anywhere, do-anytime, solution to preventing the scary statistics mentioned above that are destined to become a part of your life if you don’t take action?
Exercise.
Exercise is nothing more than physical activity. When you stay active regularly you live longer and enjoy a higher quality of life, as well as increase your mobility, balance and agility. Your mind is sharper and you dramatically reduce your risk of developing obesity, cancer, heart disease, diseases of the brain and diabetes, and you help naturally maintain a healthy body weight.
Since odds are you are probably not training to run the Boston Marathon or make the next Olympic team in some sport, the key to becoming healthier and more capable in normal, day-to-day situations is a form of physical activity called …
… functional fitness.
What is Functional Fitness, and Why Do You Need It?
The Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit medical group that has been around since 1889. The globally recognized health and wellness conglomerate is known for the prevention as well as treatment of medical conditions. The Mayo Clinic employs more than 4,000 scientists, physicians and health staff, and has this to say about functional fitness:
“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.”
Functional training first developed as a form of injury rehabilitation. This is why it is so perfect for people who do not enjoy the highest level of physical fitness. Functional fitness is ideally suited for those who are overweight or obese, people over 50 or 60 years of age that want to move through their simple daily routines without difficulty, and anyone else who wants to be able to “do the things I used to do” without pain or difficulty.
Functional fitness was made for, and works perfectly for, the average person who is tired of simple, common, everyday activities being difficult or challenging.
This could mean having the strength in your hands and wrists to open a jar when you want to. Perhaps there are several flights of stairs you have to negotiate every day at the workplace. Maybe you always have to make up an excuse because you don’t feel fit enough to help a friend move, or simply bending over presents its own set of challenges and fears.
More than 2 out of every 3 Americans is overweight. The problem is the same in other modern countries where poor diet and little physical activity combine with too much time spent staring at televisions and smart phone displays to create a weight problem epidemic. If this is your case, you probably just want to lose enough weight so that you are not huffing and puffing all of time, and the idea of developing weight-related conditions like cancer, diabetes and heart disease has you concerned about your health.
Functional fitness can help in all of those situations.
Functional exercises involve multiple body parts, and are usually not static in nature. They work to develop improved basic motor patterns and complete muscle activation, rather than repetitively working one muscle over and over. This is just one way in which functional training, used to enhance your enjoyment of and ability to perform normal daily life activities, is different than traditional exercise.
How is Functional Fitness Different from Traditional Exercise, and Other Fitness Programs?
Have you ever curled a dumbbell? Have you performed a series of jumping jacks, sit-ups or push-ups? Maybe you have jogged, been part of an aerobics class, swam, lifted weights or circuit trained with the idea of getting in shape, becoming fit and possibly losing those extra pounds. These are the types of physical activities people tend to think of when they hear the word “exercise”.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with engaging in any of the aforementioned physical activities. They are all certainly better for your overall health and well-being than staying sedentary. If you are up and moving, exercising in any way, you are to be commended for consciously trying to improve how healthy your mind and body are.
Even so, consider the following questions.
- Does repetitiously lifting or curling a heavy weight like a dumbbell or barbell prepare you properly for the common movements and activities you engage in throughout the course of a normal day?
- How does running 5 or 10 or 20 miles or more every week prepare you for carrying the groceries, working in your garden, washing your car or giving your home a thorough spring cleaning?
- Does an exhausting aerobics workout mirror anything you do in your everyday life?
Put quite simply, traditional exercise does not necessarily improve your ability to do the things required of your daily routine. Most of the time, single muscles or body parts are moved. Actions and motions which are not normal parts of your daily existence are stressed and repeated.
Functional fitness mimics your normal daily movements. It helps you become better at the things you physically do each and every day, and in return, you become stronger, more capable and enjoy more self-esteem, independence, better balance and mobility, as well as improved cardiovascular and muscular health.
Consider the following differences between Traditional Fitness Training (TFT) and Functional Fitness Training (FFT):
Traditional Exercise
- Often times just focuses on one muscle at a time
- Uses standing or seated positions, often supported, which are not challenging
- Overuses forward and backward planes of motion
- Underuses lateral and vertical planes of motion
- Traditional exercises don’t often relate to the typical movements of everyday life
- Your range of motion is restricted
- These exercises use very controlled movement patterns
- Traditional exercise often leads to short, compact, tight and bulging muscles
- Repetitions are slow
- Single muscle overuse and injury is common
- Repetitive intense and pounding motions and movements (as with aerobic exercise) is not healthy
Functional Fitness
- Multiple muscles and body groups are used simultaneously
- You must stabilize yourself, rather than relying on a piece of fitness equipment to offer support
- Your core muscles are actively engaged
- These types of movements mirror the things you do every day
- All planes of motion are used equally
- You develop your maximum strength capacity
- Longer, more natural looking, strong and lean muscles are developed
- You perform “purposeful movement” patterns
- Your posture, balance and flexibility improve
For example, one of the most common weightlifting exercises is a dumbbell curl. Standing with your feet roughly shoulder width apart, you grasp a dumbbell in one hand. A dumbbell is a short rod, usually about 12 to 16 inches long, with weights on either end. For a biceps curl you grab the dumbbell in the middle, and curl it upwards from the side of your leg to your chest. You pause there for a second, and then return the weight to the side of your leg.
This is great for building muscles in your upper arms. However, how many things do you do in your daily routine require this movement, especially with a heavy weight? Perform a lot of biceps curls and you may look great in a tanktop or sleeveless shirt, but you are really not dramatically impacting your ability to perform common daily activities.
Now let’s take a look at the simple squat.
This is a traditional exercise which also qualifies as a functional fitness movement. The squat is commonly referred to as the single most perfect exercise, because it works so many different body parts. Also, it offers FFT benefits that make a real impact in your daily life.
Stand with your feet just outside your hips. Angle your toes slightly outward and pick a spot on a wall or somewhere in front of you where you will focus your vision. Keep your back straight and slowly begin bending at your knees, lowering your upper body. You may want to put your hands out in front of you for balance. Squat down, keeping your vision forward, hold for a pause, and then return to your standing position.
This is a natural movement. You have been squatting since you were a baby. You will be squatting to pick things up your entire life. This is a great example of a functional fitness exercise. It works multiple muscle groups, increases your strength and balance, and makes performing normal, everyday activities easier.
With most functional fitness movements, you don’t need to be a member of a group exercise program. Functional fitness exercises can be performed just about anywhere, anytime you have a few moments to spare. An expensive gym membership is not required, and inclement weather will not keep you from working out.
Conclusion
Whether you are a tween, teen, young adult, or an older adult in your 50s, 60s, 70s or older, there are functional fitness exercises which can improve your quality of life, and help you live your daily life better.
Functional fitness is perfect for the overweight or obese, as well as those over 50 years of age. It makes an excellent therapeutic device for physical rehabilitation regimens. Functional fitness works for men or women, only requires a few minutes of your time, and since it delivers real results that have a positive impact on your daily existence, you receive a high-value return on your investment of time and energy.
If previously simple daily tasks and activities are no longer simple, or easy, functional fitness could be the answer.
