Functional fitness training includes movements and workouts that are similar to activities from your daily life. Instead of working out a single muscle group on its own, functional fitness exercises recruit multiple muscle groups at the same time. The more a movement mimics what you see in real life, the greater the benefits.
Here are four benefits of functional fitness:
1. Improved Daily Life
The most significant benefit of functional fitness is that it makes what you do every day easier. Functional fitness builds overall strength and endurance. Activities like carrying your groceries into your house, walking the dog, playing with your kids at the park, and completing home projects all get easier.
2. Improved Coordination and Flexibility
When you first start a functional fitness program, you’ll probably learn quite a few new movements. Learning different exercise and moving in new ways can feel like your brain is getting as much of a workout as your body. By working multiple joints at the same time, you’ll improve your coordination. Plus, each functional movement will get your body moving more efficiently as you work through a joint’s full range of motion. The result is an increase in your flexibility.
3. Increased Variety
A lack of variety in a fitness program can lead to a decrease in your motivation and create a fitness plateau. If you feel like you no longer see results, then mixing up your routine with some functional fitness training might be the solution for you. As previously mentioned, you’ll learn new movements which are a great way to introduce variety into your workouts.
4. Reduced Injury Risk
Because functional fitness training intends to mimic what you do in your daily life, building your physical fitness in this way decreases your risk of injury. You’re building strength, flexibility, balance, and coordination for the movements that you do on a daily basis. You’re less likely to get injured doing things like picking up your kids, putting the 50-pound bag of dog food in your shopping cart, or jumping into a pick-up basketball game with your co-workers.
As part of a consistent workout program, functional fitness training improves the quality of your daily life. It’s never too late to get started! To learn more about how functional fitness training can help you reach your personal fitness goals, contact Pinnacle Performance and Fitness in Corpus Christi today.