Introduction

Being fit and physically active is the best way you can appreciate your body. Exercising regularly can strengthen your body and improve your health. It helps you perform your daily activities with ease and aids you in achieving your fitness goals. 

Adults who spend less time sitting idle and engage in any level of low to high-intensity exercise reap some health benefits. Physical activity has a greater influence on your health and is one of the best gifts you can give your body. Physical activity has health advantages for everyone, irrespective of age, capability, gender, or size.

If you do not wish to do vigorous exercises that focus on a single part of the body and want an all-rounder exercise that focuses on your whole body, functional fitness is the best choice for you. Functional fitness strengthens your muscles and trains your body to do everyday activities effortlessly. 

Functional fitness – what is it and why it matters

Functional fitness, or functional training, is a type of exercise that conditions your body for your daily life. It aims at improving the overall functional strength of the body using movements that we do in everyday life, like squatting, pushing and pulling, lunging, bending, and core exercises. These exercises involve the use of multiple muscles and joints and make it easier for us to do our daily activities. Functional training is done using body weight or free weights rather than a machine.

Functional training helps promote balance, flexibility and endurance. You can do your daily activities without worrying about body strain or muscle pull. Functional training is beneficial for all people, regardless of their age or gender. Functional training programs can help increase muscle size, burn calories, and improve definition. Moving is the key to functional training: more precisely, moving in several directions at various speeds and with various equipment. It puts every muscle in the body to work.

Perks of functional fitness training

Now that we know what functional training is, let’s look at the benefits of functional training. 

• Multiple muscle groups are used simultaneously during functional training, which contributes to the development of a leaner, toned body. Functional training coordinates multiple muscles and joints simultaneously, giving your body the strength and ability to function as a single unit. 

• Helps improve your endurance and muscle strength and gives you the stability and strength to do your daily activities more effectively. Functional training gives you better coordination, balance and flexibility. 

• It is a low-impact training program and does not put much stress on your joints and muscles. This makes it an ideal choice for elderly people and those who are new to working out. Newbies may experience muscle pain if you begin your fitness journey with high-intensity workouts. You can start with functional exercises to condition your muscles before starting high-intensity workouts. 

• It helps elevate back, joint, or any other body pain. Most kind of muscle pain starts due to a lack of physical activity. By practising functional training, you can rejuvenate and restore your body’s health. 

• Functional training helps you become more aware of your body’s condition. You can know which part of your body feels uncomfortable or pains while exercising. 

Functional training vs traditional strength training

Functional Training	Traditional Strength Training
Focuses on multiple muscle and joint groups at a time. Involves exercises that you do in everyday life, like jumping, walking, lifting, etc. It can be done using body weight or free weights. Helps develop balance and stability in the body. Eg: Squats, planks, burpees, push-ups, lunges, etc.	Focuses on one muscle group at a time, ie., legs, glutes, abs, or arms. Involves using heavy weights, free weights or exercise machines that work one muscle group to exhaustion. Helps develop muscle mass of specific parts of the body. Eg: Bicep curls, shoulder press, dumbbell row, hip thrusts, etc.

Things to consider when choosing the best functional gym for you

Choosing a gym that suits you can be challenging when you’re starting your fitness journey. You may come across several gyms that have similar facilities and equipment for training. But how do you choose which gym will be right for you? Below are some of the things you should consider before choosing the right gym for you. 

Location

The distance of the gym from your home or office is an important factor to consider when choosing a functional gym. You have to know that you practically drag yourself from the gym after a tiring workout session. So the closer the gym is to your area, the better. 

Equipment

Functional fitness gyms do not require the large exercise machines you find in regular gyms. Since it is an exercise that focuses more on conditioning your body for daily activities, equipment like cable machines, stability balls, polymetric steps, jump ropes, dumbbells, etc is required. 

Coaches

There is no doubt that you can reach your fitness goals faster if you have a fitness coach to guide you every step of the way. They not only keep you motivated but also make sure you are not injured while working out. So it is important to look into the quality of the coaches and their level of experience while searching for a functional fitness gym. 

Price

Although your health is indeed more important than money, that doesn’t mean you have to pay exorbitant prices for gym memberships. Gyms usually have monthly, quarterly, and annual memberships. It is better to start with a monthly membership and see if the services suit your fitness goals.

Word of mouth

Word of mouth is as important as your research when choosing a functional gym. If you are new to fitness and don’t know which gym to choose, you can always seek suggestions from fitness experts or your friends who go to gyms regularly. 

The gym that meets your functional fitness goals: SLAM

Are you planning to start your functional fitness journey? Then SLAM Fitness Studio is the best option for you. One of the best fitness studios in Chennai, SLAM offers customised fitness programs that will help you reach your fitness goals at a faster pace. The training programs offered at SLAM are,

• Functional training
• Fitness Bootcamp
• Body transformation
• Weight loss and weight gain

To know more about the services and memberships offered at SLAM Fitness Studio, click here. 

Conclusion

As we have seen above, functional fitness prepares your muscles for everyday activities and helps enhance daily living. So what are you still waiting for? Join the functional fitness program at SLAM today and take the first step in your fitness journey. 

FAQs

1. How frequently can you do functional fitness training?

It is ideal to practice functional training 2 to 3 times a week. You can practice functional training without worrying about body strain or injury because it is mainly based on your daily activities. If you don’t feel tired or your body recovers quickly after a workout session, you can do functional training up to 4 times a week. If you are a beginner in the fitness journey, keeping the training to 3 to 4 times a week is better.

2. What is the difference between functional training and HIIT?

Functional training mostly replicates your everyday movements, like lifting, walking, pushing or pulling, etc. They last for 30 to 45 minutes and have rest or low-intensity exercise periods. 

HIIT is a type of fitness training that comprises short bursts of high-intensity or vigorous workouts followed by recovery periods. They usually have a continuous exercise period of less than 30 minutes followed by 5 to 10 minutes of rest or stretching. 

3. Does functional training help build muscle?

Just like any other exercise, functional training can help build muscle and give you a toned and lean body. Rather than focusing on building a single muscle group, functional training focuses on several muscle groups simultaneously. This helps with the holistic development of your strength and conditions your body to work as a single unit. 

4. Can functional training help you lose weight?

Functional training can not only aid in performing daily activities, but it also helps burn calories more efficiently. If your goal is weight loss, aim for exercises that focus on full-body workouts like functional training. You can burn more calories and lose weight more quickly.