Functional training is one of those industry buzzwords, but it’s a philosophy rooted in common sense. This kind of training mimics movements in your day-to-day life, which means you spend time and effort helping your body prepare itself for common physical tasks – everything from rising to a standing position, reaching down to pick something up, even putting on a sweater. For seniors citizens, functional training is well worth the time. Here’s why.
Why do seniors benefit from functional training?
Actually, anyone can benefit from this kind of workout. But seniors in particular benefit simply because as we age, things we took for granted can become more challenging. To ensure that you can continue safely reaching something on a high shelf and stepping up onto a raised surface as you age, functional training is a good way to go.
While many typical exercises performed in a gym involve some pushing or pulling motions, functional training takes movement a little further. Instead of isolating muscles on a single plane or range of motion, functional training means working several muscle groups at the same time. This kind of exercise is also important for building balance and coordination – two skills that can fade with aging.
Seniors who perform regular functional training exercises also benefit in other ways.
- Improved endurance and muscle strength – This kind of training makes your daily life easier by improving both endurance and muscle strength. That means complete your regular activities are much easier.
- Better muscle memory – By performing the same types of movements, your body becomes more responsive. This is an easy way to build both muscle memory and keep your mental focus sharp.
- Enhanced flexibility and coordination – Because you’re working a group of muscles with a wide range of motion, you improve coordination while keeping the body flexible.
- Low impact – Functional training is easy on the joints, unlike some high impact exercises. Performing these movements under the watchful eye of an experienced personal trainer, like those here at Framework Personal Training in Sparks, will also ensure that you’re doing them safely.