Even though most of us are spending the majority of our time at home, it’s still important to be physically active. Functional fitness can be a good way to combat restlessness and keep your body moving.
What is functional fitness? It refers to exercise that helps you with everyday activities, like: getting up off the floor, carrying heavy objects, putting something up on a shelf.
While increasing your overall strength will help you move better, combining strength training with exercises that mirror the movements of daily activities can provide an even more effective training regimen.
It can also promote better:
Balance,endurance, flexibility
And who doesn’t want that, right?
We’ve compiled 4 exercises below that’ll help improve functional fitness for adults of all ages. Complete five to six of these exercises three to four days per week for optimal results.
You can do them all safely from your home with minimal equipment.
- Squat
Squatting is a similar movement to sitting in a chair, so it’s a must-include in any functional fitness routine. Make sure you’re moving slow and controlled throughout the movement, and if you need more of a challenge, hold a light dumbbell in each hand.
- Incline chest press
Being able to push yourself up off the ground or another surface is invaluable in terms of functional fitness, but pushups can be very challenging. The incline chest press works the same muscles and may be friendlier for beginners.
- Plank
Getting into and holding the plank position requires mobility and balance, which is helpful for getting up off the floor. Plus, the exercise recruits so many muscles, so it’s great for building overall strength.
- Wall squat
If you need a bit more support than in a regular squat, perform one against a wall. This should take any lower back pain out of the equation.
Source:Healthline
