Functional training can help to improve our quality of life by enhancing our ability to manage daily physical tasks that may otherwise be causing us issues such as lower back pain. This article will cover the benefits of functional training and help you determine if it is right for you.
What is the definition of Functional Training?
Functional training is a blanket term for exercises that help you perform daily life activities with greater ease. Generally, this definition includes compound exercises that involve squatting, pressing, pulling, and carrying. These have the most excellent carry-over to activities you may encounter in daily life (i.e., lifting and carrying a heavy box). Essentially, functional training seeks to mimic movements that challenge you in everyday life, with the ultimate goal of improving your capacity in these movements.
One prevalent issue in the fitness industry today is how the term ‘Functional Training’ has become a buzzword for convoluted exercises that serve no real purpose other than to garner attention on social media platforms. While not all training may be considered ‘functional,’ all functional training should be simple and accessible, as the aim is to improve the quality of life for anyone and everyone.
How is it different from non-functional training?
Functional training typically comprises challenging exercises that focus on progressively overloading day-to-day movements such as weighted carries, squats/deadlifts (improve posterior chain strength and proprioception), and pressing movements.
Non-functional training may include things such as bicep curls, where the desired training adaptations are primarily for aesthetics, rather than helping an individual perform daily living activities with greater ease. This does, however, depend on the purpose of your functional training. For instance, if bicep curls help you achieve your daily tasks with greater ease (e.g., an elderly person picking up their young grandchildren), then there is no reason why this would not be classed as ‘functional training.’
If an exercise helps to improve your strength to enhance your ability to perform daily tasks, then the training is functional. Just don’t get caught up in ridiculous exercises that serve no purpose, such as barbell squats on a stability ball – the only thing you’ll gain from this is an injury!
What are the Benefits of Functional Strength Training?
Functional training can be ideal during periods when you have a specific goal or if you are recovering from an injury. This section will break down some of the main benefits of including functional training in your program.
Resistance training adaptations
As with any form of resistance training, functional training will elicit similar training adaptations beneficial for your overall health and performance. Increased muscle mass, increased bone density, body composition management, and improved cardiovascular fitness will all reduce disease risk. This is especially important in older populations, where processes such as sarcopenia & osteopenia result in gradual muscle and bone density loss due to aging. Resistance training, in general, can mitigate these changes, helping to reduce the risk of falls and injuries like bone fractures.
Reduces risk of injury
The focus on core strength in functional training can help protect the spine when doing other forms of exercise that expose us to additional risk of injury. Improved flexibility and strength due to this style of training can also help reduce the prevalence of injuries such as muscle strains.
Ideal during injury rehabilitation
Functional training is ideal for you if you are undergoing rehabilitation from an injury, as it emphasizes proficiency in movement patterns. Practical training can help you work around a present injury or strengthen the movement pattern that may currently be causing pain or discomfort.
Improves movement competency
Increased core strength, muscular power, and proprioception will all carry over to athletic performance, no matter what the sport is. Many modern resistance training programs focus far too much on bodybuilding-style movements, simply aiming to enhance muscle mass. While this is an essential part of training, functional training helps to improve your competency in action, meaning you are better able to meet the demands of your sport or daily activities.
Take home message
Functional training is essentially any form of exercise that helps you become more proficient in performing daily tasks while simultaneously reducing your risk of injury. To implement practical training into your training routine, evaluate your needs and compare them against your current abilities. Use functional training to bridge gaps and improve your quality of life in the process!