What Is Considered Functional Training?

Instead of isolating muscle groups, functional training exercises teach all muscles to work together in harmony. They often combine resistance training and flexibility exercises to contribute to overall fitness.

Examples of functional training workouts that involve multiple joints and muscles include:

• Farmers walk
• Wall handstand push-up
• Pull-up
• Woman maker
• Sled pull or push
• One-arm kettlebell snatch
• Crab reach
• Jump squat
• Turkish get-up
• Dumbbell thruster

To be successful, a functional training program should be adjusted to your requirements or goals for functional strength. Your program should:

• Zero in on meaningful workouts, customized to your specific fitness level and overall health, including the existence of any current or previous injuries.
• Improve your core strength, stability, balance, coordination, mobility, and range of motion.
• Be consistent while also progressively adding difficulty.
• Be useful for everyday life.

If you have not exercised in a while, have health issues, or are pregnant, you should check with your primary care physician before beginning a new exercise program. Your doctor can help you evaluate what's best for you.

As with any new exercise, it’s important to start slow. For example, you may want to start by using your own body weight for resistance. Then, as you become more fit and get used to your new fitness regimen, you can add a little more resistance. Try to avoid adding too much resistance or doing high impact exercises, which can put stress on joints and delicate tissues especially if not performed correctly.