You’ve scrolled upon that TikTok or Instagram video of someone putting the work through #FunctionalFitness.
The Internet itself is filled with a bunch of these fitness gurus and influencers sharing the ultimate Functional Fitness workout program. But what is it?
How do you do it? What are the benefits? Most importantly, is it effective?
A Lifestyle through Muscle Memory
Functional fitness runs on the principle and with the strength of your muscle memory.
That is if you keep on training your strength, and with the aid of muscle memory developed whenever you work out, all of it will translate into your everyday lifestyle.
The best principle it has to offer is that this doesn’t just make you healthier and stronger, but it changes the way you feel and perceives the value of life, thus living longer.
By incorporating the values behind the work you put out on being healthy, you are challenged to apply the essence of balance, strength, and endurance to the rest of your life outside of working out.
Because it is rooted in muscle memory, functional fitness can be applied to many things, and you could already be doing one at the moment.
To add to this, certain routines in the exercise are indeed functional to your everyday movements.
Let’s Talk Gains
Now, you might be wondering what functional fitness can do to your everyday life and what benefits you can get from it. We’ve created that list:
Become Stronger
Yes, most of the movements in functional fitness can be done in your everyday routine, but that doesn’t mean it’s useless.
Going up a flight of stairs might seem just like a small task, but with added resistance even to simply your own body weight, your muscles can get stronger.
Improved Coordination and Mobility
Because of muscle memory, you can move with ease. This comfort comes into play both in your workout routine and with your everyday movements.
If squats are mastered, imagine how you’ll move with ease when you’re about to play musical chairs with your toddler?
Better Balance
If you’ve ever encountered an awkward moment trying to grab something and needing to readjust your body, then functional fitness can greatly help with your balance and coordination.
Where to Begin
We begin with the movements that you’ve always been doing in life and bring them to where you work out.
Because functional fitness utilizes the movement of everyday scenarios–from lifting a baby to rescuing someone in a building–the workout routine equips you with all the necessary muscle memory not just to survive but also to thrive in your daily routines, whoever you may be and whatever work you may be in.
Functional fitness has become increasingly popular in recent years because it offers a variety of programs that cater to different fitness goals and levels.
From using only your body weight to training like a marathoner, functional fitness has something for everyone.
If you’re living in Darwin and looking for a gym that offers functional fitness programs, you can use Gym Near Me to find and compare local gyms in Darwin. With it, you can easily search for gyms in your area and compare them based on factors like price, amenities, and reviews.
Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced athlete, finding the right gym can make all the difference in achieving your fitness goals.
You may consider starting with three sets of 10 of these common movements:
- Squats – after the movement you do when you sit up and down
- Burpees – after the movement you do when you get up from lying down
- Box Step-Up (per leg) – after the movement you make in going up a flight of stairs
- Pull-Ups – building your ability to lift yourself up
- Bench Dips – similar to the movement you make when you aid yourself to sit on a chair
- Deadlift – targeting your back and leg muscles at the same time
- Strict Press – similar to the movement you make when you lift anything overhead
Each of these has beginner and advanced forms, which you can try depending on your body. Most certainly, these require you to warm up and stretch properly before doing and also cool down properly.
For these reasons, enrolling in a proper program with a skilled coach might be essential.
But worry not! Functional fitness is definitely welcoming to all people–from beginners to athletes, from the young to the veteran.
Additionally, these movements, along with more forms that you’ll learn throughout your training, are definitely proven useful in everyday scenarios.
With the rising concern that people have since the pandemic over how their bodies work and how their health risks are rising from a sedentary lifestyle, more people are getting into functional fitness with the goal of being able to live healthier while applying the muscle memory to everyday mobility.
The commitment one puts into functional fitness bears fruit towards their well-being, as much as it keeps them strong and healthy.
