If you’re getting started with a workout program, one of the top things that you need to be giving some consideration to is the types of exercises that you’re choosing to include in your program.
Far too many people just dive into the first workout that they come across, without ever analysing the true benefits that this workout is going to offer.
One of the most critical elements that you should be sure is in place in any workout you choose is the functional fitness factor.
What does this mean? It simply means that the exercises that you perform are going to better mimic everyday patterns of movement that you require for your goals, closer than other exercises do.
Let’s look at the benefits of including functional training into your workout program.
Greater Sports Performance
The first big benefit that functional training offers is greater sports performance. Many sports do involve rather practical movements and with functional training, you’ll be strengthening the muscles involved in these.
While sport specific training definitely needs to be performed as well, functional training tends to do a very good job of strengthening all muscles in the body, so this can assist with boost your capacity in almost any sport that you decide to participate in.
Improved Transfer Over To Lifestyle Activities
In addition to boosting sports performance, perhaps even more important is the fact that functional training will improve the transfer over benefits you get to everyday lifestyle activities.
The primary reason why you should be working out is so that you feel stronger on a day to day basis and this is going to be best accomplished through functional training.
If you’re performing exercises in the gym that don’t mimic the movements you do in your everyday life at all, how many benefits will you derive? Sure, you may get larger and develop more muscle, but from a practical standpoint, you’ll be losing the game.
Functional training is the best form of training to do so that you look better and maintain the quality of life that you want to.
Reduced Injury Risk
Next, functional training is also great for reducing your injury risk. Ever notice how the worst injuries are often the most expected and are done when you’re doing the most random of movements?
Functional training strengthens all the ligaments and tendons in the major muscle groups and areas, so you’ll be less likely to pull, strain, or tear these as you go about your lifestyle activities.
Plus, they work on the concept that humans move in many different directions and planes of motion and therefore require movement patterns that involve these movements.
This alone will create a balance of your body’s musculo-skeletal system and aid in the prevention of injures.
If you’ve ever been injured doing something ‘stupid’ and knocked out for weeks, you’ll definitely appreciate this benefit.
Greater Motivation
Finally, the last reason functional training is great is because it’ll also help to boost your motivation as well. When you can see a clear purpose for doing each exercise in your program, this is going to go a long way towards increasing your desire to actually do them.
With some workouts, you just can’t see that connection and this may cause you to fall off the wagon much faster.
So make sure that you are doing functional training. If you aren’t, now is the time to get it included in your workout program. You’ll be happy you did.