Advertisement

The Benefits of Functional Fitness

Share:

Shopgym01
Shop Gym in Niverville Crystal Stott

Functional fitness. You hear about it a lot—on television, on social media, and pretty much anywhere you go. You may not recognize the term, but if you see someone carrying in groceries or squatting down to pick something up, that’s functional fitness in action.

Functional fitness exercises train your muscles to work together and prepare them for daily tasks by simulating common movements you might do at home, at work, or in sports. While using various muscles in the upper and lower body at the same time, functional fitness exercises also emphasize core stability.

Working out using functional movement training is one of the best ways to achieve overall fitness for everyday life. Learning how to move properly with or without a load (think carrying those groceries up a flight of stairs, or picking up a case of bottled water and putting it up on a shelf) and increasing your strength and aerobic capacity (useful for helping someone push a car out of a snowdrift or shovelling your driveway without throwing your back out) will help improve your quality of life.

Most people equate the functional fitness movement with the sport of CrossFit. While CrossFit is one of the original proponents of the functional fitness lifestyle, CrossFit is quite different. It’s important to differentiate the two. Most people watch the CrossFit Games on TSN and think to themselves, “That’s crazy! I could never do that!” Well, you’re probably right. Games athletes are professionals. They train multiple times a day, every day. They are paid to train, much like athletes in the NFL and NHL. 

Does that mean that functional fitness isn’t for everyone? No. Everyone can benefit from moving well. Couple that with strength training to increase bone density and muscle mass and you’re setting yourself up for a healthy long life. Functional fitness gyms offer group classes that are fun and incorporate strength training exercises with high intensity interval training. CrossFit gyms generally follow a programming template, but there are numerous other gyms or fitness centres that offer classes to give you a great workout. The key is finding one that makes you feel comfortable and offers responsible, well-trained coaches or instructors. Most gyms offer a free class, so it costs you nothing to try before you buy. It just may be what you need to kickstart your fitness journey.

For more information

http://shopgyminc.wixsite.com/...

Advertisement
More FEATURES

Taking a Multipronged Approach to Wellness

For Manitobans, March is the time of year when we’re most ready for winter to leave. Anyone who made new year’s commitments surrounding health may be feeling discouraged. The exceptional snowy...

Read more

For Manitobans, March is the time of year when we’re most ready for winter to leave. Anyone who made new year’s commitments surrounding health may be feeling discouraged. The exceptional snowy...

Read more

Getting Fit and Staying Active

For Kids Just like adults, kids need to stay active. The difference is that kids are usually quite willing to participate if Mom or Dad is willing to arrange it. Before driving your...

Read more

For Kids Just like adults, kids need to stay active. The difference is that kids are usually quite willing to participate if Mom or Dad is willing to arrange it. Before driving your...

Read more
Advertisement

Organizing and Decluttering for Spring

Many homeowners understand the frustration of overcrowded garages and sheds, particularly when the item you’re looking for is buried behind and beneath things, or when you can’t get your vehicle...

Read more

Many homeowners understand the frustration of overcrowded garages and sheds, particularly when the item you’re looking for is buried behind and beneath things, or when you can’t get your vehicle...

Read more

Creating Safe and Chemical-Free Yard Spaces

Whether it boils down to our kids or pets, the natural ecosystem or the environment, more and more people are looking for ways to create chemical-free outdoor spaces to live in. And with court cases...

Read more

Whether it boils down to our kids or pets, the natural ecosystem or the environment, more and more people are looking for ways to create chemical-free outdoor spaces to live in. And with court cases...

Read more
Advertisement

Remembering the Flood of the Century

The Red River is hardly one of North America’s most notable rivers. It runs a mere 880 kilometres from its headwaters in North Dakota to its mouth at Lake Winnipeg, just the twenty-third longest...

Read more

The Red River is hardly one of North America’s most notable rivers. It runs a mere 880 kilometres from its headwaters in North Dakota to its mouth at Lake Winnipeg, just the twenty-third longest...

Read more

A Brief History of Red River Floods

Fortunately, the 2019 Red River Flood has turned out to be a relatively non-event, with the crest this week falling well short of the dire predictions made earlier in the year before an unusually...

Read more

Fortunately, the 2019 Red River Flood has turned out to be a relatively non-event, with the crest this week falling well short of the dire predictions made earlier in the year before an unusually...

Read more
Advertisement

Wedding Caterers Bring the Pièce de Résistance to Your Special Day

So many thoughtful details go into planning the perfect wedding day: the dress, the décor, the vows. But let’s face it, most of those things will only live on in the memories of the...

Read more

So many thoughtful details go into planning the perfect wedding day: the dress, the décor, the vows. But let’s face it, most of those things will only live on in the memories of the...

Read more

Selecting Wines for the Wedding Day

When wedding guests raise glasses to toast the happy couple, everyone wants what is in the glass to be pleasant. We also want the wines not to break the bank. Both can be achieved without much...

Read more

When wedding guests raise glasses to toast the happy couple, everyone wants what is in the glass to be pleasant. We also want the wines not to break the bank. Both can be achieved without much...

Read more
Time until next issue
Citizen Poll

Is it prudent for Niverville’s council to encourage a broad shift to municipal water as soon as the government grants become available?

For related article, see https://nivervillecitizen.com/...