A little perspective about my physicality:
Exercise and movement are critical to my overall health. I am committed to purposeful strength training 2 to 3 times per week, whether at the gym or at home with dumbbells, kettle-bells, or simply, my own body weight. I also walk several times per week, run 1-2 times per week, and incorporate slow stretching/yoga poses to help counter balance intensity and tightness from my everyday activities. I am not a extreme exerciser; my specified workouts are roughly an hour or shorter and are designed to be deliberate. I believe that less is more and intentional exercise should be primarily brief and intentional, therefore allowing for maximum gains through proper recovery. Functional training is imperative to my everyday expression and provides the foundation to living my life to the fullest. I believe training should be focused on function above aesthetics; essentially, basic human movement patterns.
Most people feel the primary goal of exercise is to burn calories and lose weight. I believe it’s more important to improve our overall health and fitness, while supporting the natural aging process. Functional movement patterns compose all our daily activities and are the primal foundation for movement in the human body. Improving functional movement enhances coordination and balance which can have a positive impact on your overall well-being. When your physical body is working properly, it can become stronger and more efficient at supporting your goals, using energy, and burning calories, which also supports your ideal body weight and overall life perspective.
Functional movement takes your joints through their full range of motion and engages surrounding stabilizing muscles. This is important in preventing injury and bringing efficient and healthy movement to the body.
Incorporating functional exercise is beneficial as it supports your common activities and trains several large groups of muscles that are working together across your body. These exercises often look similar to movements you’d make in your daily life and generally require specialized equipment. A few examples where functional training can improve real- world, day-to-day activities include walking, picking up a child or heavy object, stepping off the sidewalk, or carrying groceries.
Functional Exercise focuses on these basic movements:
Push- Everyday: Pushing a wheelbarrow, pushing yourself off the floor should you fall//Exercise: Resistant band chest press, push-up//Chaturranga
Pull-Everyday: Closing a heavy door, pulling a sled//Exercise: Pull-up’s//Archer’s Pose
Squat-Everday: Sitting down-standing up// Exercise: Doing a body weight squat, sitting from a standing position//Goddess Pose
Lunge- Everyday: Walking/ Stair climbing// Exercise: Body lunge (static/moving)//Warrior Pose
Hinge/Bend- Everyday: Tying your shoes, picking something up off the floor// Exercise: Deadlift//Bridge Pose
Rotation/Twist/Core-Everyday: Getting out of bed, swimming, golfing//Exercise: Russian Twist//Seated Spinal Twist Pose
Walk/Gait-Everday: Walking to the mailbox, walking to your car//Exercise: Taking a hike