In most things we learn, we often hear experts saying that you have to start from the beginning by learning the fundamentals. Exercise is no exception. Learning functional movements will have you using multiple muscles with each move and will minimize your risk of injury as you train. Whether you’re a seasoned athlete, a beginner, or an older adult, you will reap the benefits of taking exercise back to the basics with functional movement training. Functional movement focuses on training movement patterns, rather than isolating individual muscles. Below are some of the many benefits of this type of training.
Posture
Correcting poor posture can be quite the chore. Functional training can help to correct bad posture and muscular imbalances caused by improper exercise technique, daily stressors, and hectic lifestyles.
Muscle Tone
Functional training focuses on the movement versus the amount of weight, therefore helping to improve overall muscle tone. Using your own bodyweight and concentrating on controlling each muscle you’re using as you move through the motion will put emphasis on each muscle being worked. Thus, strengthening and toning your muscles.
Stability & Balance
Building strength in certain muscle groups can improve stability and balance. Functional movement training emphasizes principal muscles to help with stabilization.
Range of Motion
Regular functional training can help your overall range of motion. It can also be beneficial for improving joint mobility, particularly when recovering from an injury or a surgery.
Core Strength
Nearly every exercise in functional training involves your core. Training your core to stabilize the spine through differing movement patterns. Those motions mimic the demand our core and spine experience in our everyday activities.
Injury Prevention
Performing weighted exercises before you have the right motion down can leave you susceptible to injury. Learning proper technique on basic movements before adding weight to them is a key component in injury prevention.
Now that we’ve discussed the importance of functional movements, we will want to talk about the movements behind functional training. Tune in next week for 7 Essential Functional Movement Exercises.
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