| Functional Training, What is it & Why do you Need it? |
|
|
By Gregg Parris, Shape’s Head Conditioning Specialist
You may have heard the term Functional Training before but what is it? Functional Training is the latest trend in the High Performance Personal Training and Fitness industry. It is a mode of physical conditioning that can be tied to a sport, activity or an occupation-specific movement or practice. But what does it do, and how do you do it? When most people think of Functional Training, they think of “core” training or “balance” training, but it entails much more than that. A more accurate description of functional training would be: “An activity that trains proper movement patterns”, incorporating core stability, balance and muscular strength development. Functional training is a way of refining and improving the body’s awareness of where its limbs are at any given moment, and how they are positioned relative to each other in three dimensional space. This is also referred to as proprioception and/or kinesthetic sense. We have this ability innately thanks to our CNS or Central Nervous System, which develops after birth as you learn and progress from simple reflexive movements, to coordinated complex movements. So why do you need to train functionally to improve your “body sense”? Well, like most systems in the body – “If you don’t use it, you lose it”. If you do not train and/or continually challenge these systems, function is lost. Therefore, it is important for everyone to challenge and develop this body sense to maintain functional abilities and ADL’s (Activities of Daily Living) as we age. Functional Training and the Kinetic Chain Any type of training that has specific application to a real-life movement and/or sport can be labeled as “functional”. Functional training then, can be as unique as the person who is training to improve their functional ability. Functional training may be best understood if you view the body as a “kinetic chain”. Here “kinetic” refers to movement/motion and “chain” refers to the body’s ability to link motion at multiple joints so that motion is fluid and coordinated. To summarize, a functional training session would condition the body using whole body coordinated movements, in which the muscles and joints of the body are working together through a kinetic chain, while summoning balance, core stability and strength to mimic everyday activities and tasks and help develop the body’s sense of equilibrium during both static and dynamic challenges. The Take-home Message of Functional Training You do not want to be built for “show”, you want to be built to GO! Functional training develops the body’s neuromuscular system and enables you to move better during work or play, and maintains your functional awareness as you get older. To learn more about how the Shape Team puts the “FUN” in Functional Training. Please speak to one of our Client Relations Associates and book your session today! |
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
I wanted to say THANK YOU for fitting me in so quickly this morning. I feel SO MUCH BETTER! I can finally concentrate on my work and not stress out about missing my training schedule. Wow, I had no idea when I walked in there that I would actually leave feeling better.
