Functional Fitness
What is functional fitness?
In recent years, people have become more aware of the importance of health and wellness, especially with the growing number of illnesses that are affecting people worldwide.
Aside from eating healthy, there is now also an increasing interest in functional fitness, another cornerstone of functional medicine.
Functional Fitness
The practice of functional medicine was introduced by Jeffrey Bland, PhD in 1991.
Based on the idea “to serve the highest expression of individual health through the widespread adoption of functional medicine as the standard of care.” Since then, a lot of areas have been incorporated to functional medicine including functional fitness, which focuses on preparing the body for real life needs. In its essence, functional fitness “trains your muscles to work together and prepares them for daily tasks by simulating common movements you might do at home, at work, or in sports,” according to Mayo Clinic.
This concept is created after the basic belief that life is going to be a lot easier when movements related to daily activities like pulling, reaching, squatting and lifting are incorporated to exercise routines. It also decreases the risks for injuries and improves the quality of life of individuals, especially those already suffering from certain medical conditions.
Why is functional fitness important?
In recent years, people have become more aware of the importance of health and wellness, especially with the growing number of illnesses that are affecting people worldwide.
Functional fitness is adding a new spin to traditional fitness routines by incorporating practical exercises that will allow an individual to carry heavy objects, get up and reach up for things in shelves. This would allow for more efficient movement throughout the day without worrying about strains, aches and injuries to the muscle and bones.
Instead of just dead-lifting weights in the gym and still getting backaches by just lifting a heavy object, functional fitness takes practicality into the picture to really maximize the benefits of exercise. Aside from increasing strength, functional fitness also promotes better flexibility, endurance and balance, all of which are important in performing daily activities.
The beauty of functional fitness is that you don’t need a lot of equipment to start working out and you only need the guidance of a functional fitness practitioner to incorporate these common exercises into your routine:
01
Squats
One of the most important exercises for functional fitness, squats resembles the movement you make when sitting on a chair, which is a daily activity. Although this is a part of your normal routine, sitting can be a cause of injury if not done right. By moving slowly and controlling your movement, you’ll be able to avoid any injuries to the back and legs.
02
Plank
Planking focuses on improving balance and mobility, which is useful in getting up from the floor. It is also one of the simplest exercises to perform and it doesn’t require any equipment at all. Doing planks regularly is a great way to strengthen your arms and legs while keeping your balance.
03
Chest press
An incline chest press is the easier alternative to a full push up, which can be difficult for beginners. Although some see this exercise as a form of bodybuilding, an incline chest press is actually beneficial for activities like pulling yourself off the ground or lifting heavy objects, as it builds your upper body strength.
Functional fitness is an important foundation of functional medicine, which aims to not only treat individual diseases by determining their root causes but also in promoting a good quality of life to patients. Together with functional nutrition, functional fitness is incorporated in an individualized treatment plan focused on targeting the key needs of a patient and promoting a healthier lifestyle to prevent more medical conditions in the future.
We at the Functional Medicine Group brings a team of passionate functional medicine practitioners together in a community that promotes the goal of wellness and optimum health to individuals around the world. We believe that by taking on a more individualized approach to treating patients, mortality rates can be decreased significantly so patients can enjoy their lives without being limited by the complications of their medical conditions.
Although most patients who come to us have already tried other conventional treatments, we give them the hope of a full recovery by making sure that they get the treatment that they need with the help of our pharmacists, pharmacy owners, nutritionists and fitness practitioners.
We are now the future of the field of medicine and we will continue to work on improving our practice.
Read an article on how to become a functional medicine coach.
