Written by: Troie Barker, Membership Consultant, O2 Fitness Falconbridge
So... what exactly is functional fitness? Well, it's training that
keeps you active and more mobile to prepare you for
real-life situations or things that we do everyday. Some of those
things include climbing a flight of stairs, squatting to lift objects,
reaching for what's on the top shelf, or just simply walking.
I know plenty of people who have a tough time doing these things.
It's usually because they focus on training in only one area of the
gym, like only doing free weights, or cardio or machines. All are
effective forms of training...to a certain extent. What you want to
strive for in our Raleigh gym is a balance of exercise that will keep you
strong and flexible for the rest of your life, and you can get that with
functional fitness.
To begin with, think of functional fitness as just body-weight
exercises. You will be very surprised how tough it is just resisting
your own body weight. Three exercises that come to mind are body
squats, pushups, and pullups. These are very effective and good for
the beginner to functional training because they target every part of
the body. I name these three also because of all the different ways
you can do them, thus making your workout more interesting,
challenging and fun.
At most of our O2 Fitness locations, we have a grass turf area designed
specifically for functional training. In this area are items you've
probably never seen before: kettlebells, balance boards, trampolines,
cones, jump ropes, bosu balls, stability balls, medicine balls,
plyometric boxes, stretch bands, core wheels and more. Get creative
with your workout, and start implementing these items in your regimen.
Ask an O2 personal trainer or use the power of the web to see different
movements done with these items.
I stand behind this 100% because I am living proof of it. I'm down 35
pounds, injury free, and in the best shape of my existence. Do some
experimenting, give it a shot, and see if you don't notice changes
that will greatly benefit you in the long run!
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