Functional Fitness: Training for Real-life Movement Patterns

Whether it’s carrying groceries, walking up stairs, or bending over to pick up something, everyday movements are made easier and safer with functional fitness. Emphasizing practicality over aesthetics, this set of exercises focuses on fundamental movement patterns that are crucial for daily activities. Rather than trying to lose weight or change one’s appearance, the main goal of functional fitness is to live a longer, healthier life, enabling individuals to meet the demands of everyday life with ease and confidence.

In addition, functional training offers a practical way to enhance strength, flexibility, and balance, with minimal or no equipment needed and offering a lower risk of injury than other forms of exercise. Following are seven examples of basic movement patterns that should be included in any workout program, including single leg movements, hip hinge, push, pull, rotation, anti-rotation, and loaded carry movements. These are important because they are used in our daily lives without us realizing it. By implementing these exercises, you will mimic your daily activities, making them easier to accomplish.

All these exercises can be performed at any age or fitness level. There are multiple ways of completing each movement; these are just the basic exercises for each.

Single leg movement: Step-ups on a box or bench to simulate going up stairs.

Hip hinge movement: Bodyweight squat to help with bending over to pick up a box.

Push movement:

Push ups to help with pushing open doors.

Pull movement:

Row exercise to help with pulling a door open.

Rotation movement: Russian twist to help with turning in the car to grab something from the back seat.

Anti-rotation movement: Paloff press to help stay upright when you accidentally bump shoulders with someone at the store.

Loaded carry movement: Farmer carries to help with carrying groceries.

Contributed by THE GYM TX • TheGymTX3@gmail.com • 512-240-4043