Functional training – it really is the key to success!
I strongly believe that our workouts should incorporate exercises which mimic everyday life & help us in daily activities. So here is one for you to try which ticks all the functional fitness boxes and just so happens to be my most popular class! Why is this the class to try:
- It is low impact and focusses on technique
- It is designed for ALL abilities
- It uses movements and exercises we need to be strong and fit for life
- It is just 30 minutes long
Functional training often involves compound moves where we use more than one muscle at a time (for example we squat down to lift something up & then reach to put it away or we rotate to one side as we get out of a car etc). The term functional training can be a little confusing as you would assume that all training has some functional benefit which is true but we are specifically talking about movements which mimic key movements we do in everyday life – think about it as training for life. For example sitting – we sit down and stand up off a chair, off the bed, off the loo many, many times in a day but all too often we don’t actually train that movement. We have slightly fallen into the trap of training like an athlete – for performance, rather than training functionally for the movement patterns we do in everyday life.
Functional exercise can help prevent injury, trips, falls and generally enhance day to day living, especially as we get older. Did you know that more people get injured doing day to day activities e.g. lifting something heavy in the wrong way like dragging the lawnmower out of the garage or getting out of the bath than they do in the gym doing their workout. So, whilst you might be strong at lifting a weight in a certain movement pattern or be a great runner it might not actually help you to take the bins out each week! That’s not to say there isn’t a place for running and other types of training but it's important to get the functional work in too.
Take a look at some of my favourite functional exercises ~ these can really help improve our strength in so many daily movements; gardening, cleaning, in/out of a chair etc! The best part about functional training is that we really can do it anywhere – it primarily uses body weight and if you wish dumbbells or resistance bands rather than machines. A couple of great examples would be the squat with a press, press up and bicep curl shoulder press. Take a look here to see some great functional exercises you can try at home today.
If you’re looking for a way to get started with functional and strength training my platform, Caroline’s Circuits, is just 30 minutes 4 times per week. They are interval training circuits which work different muscle groups and challenge the body, keeping the heart rate moderate to high with passive or active rest – they give the perfect mix of strength and cardio for long lasting results.
The workouts are Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 9am and Tuesday at 2pm (they are all recorded and available to you immediately after the session if you can’t make the live).
Mondays and Fridays are workouts focusing on all the muscle groups. A strength-based class where you have the option of using weights or exercising without equipment.
Wednesdays are focussed on the lower body using resistance bands if you have them but equally all the classes can be done without equipment. Tuesday are our arms and abs day.
Classes have been specifically designed to suit all fitness levels and create fitness habits which last & produce results.
Intrigued to know more or have a go? Try a class for free here or read more about the platform here. If you have any questions please do get in touch.
For more workout inspo and to find out a bit more about me check out my Instagram.
Caroline x
