What are the best functional training exercises to help you stay energized throughout the workday?

Functional exercises like bodyweight squats, walking lunges, planks, push-ups, jumping jacks, and resistance band workouts can help maintain energy levels at work. These can easily be done in the office and discretely or can invite co-workers to join in. I enjoy adding a few of these exercises every few hours I am in the office and it helps.

It doesn't matter what kind of exercise it is, each exercise can stimulate circulation, activate the whole body and charge it energetically. What is important is how you do this exercise, the pace and the number of repetitions. Know your limits and don't fight them.

Mobility exercises that everyone should be doing weekly: - Wall WIndmill - Runners Stretch - Bretzel with the BloX - Spreadfeet Wide & Reach Overhead - Modified Floor BloX - 1-Ball Medicine Ball Push-Ups - Pallof Walkout - Mini-Bands: Double Bands on Knees, Runners Form and Staggered Stance Side Shuffle on the BAMmat. www.BAM-Metrics.com to learn more

My experience is with an older population and some of the movements that I have them go from standing to sitting in a chair with out using their arms to get up and time them to see how many they can do in 30 seconds. I'll also have them do wall planks and time them. These are great confidence boosters. They feel empowered afterward.

I probably wouldn't get too hung up on "functional" or the exercise grouping. Definitely start with a warm up, even just a couple of mins of marching with arm swings to get your heart rate up and body moving and then dynamic stretching of the main muscle groups. Personally single leg exercises are really useful for stability and injury prevention- static single leg lifts, single leg hinges or single leg lunges. Pilates roll ups are also brilliant for core. A material band and you are good to go for numerous leg and glute moves - lying crab and squats. A cool down cardio type exercise and static stretches to finish.

This workout targets your lower body, core, and shoulders while enhancing balance and coordination. To perform it, grab a pair of dumbbells or a kettlebell. Begin by standing with your feet at shoulder width, holding the weight in front of your chest. Initiate a squat by pushing your hips back and bending your knees, maintaining a lifted chest and engaged core. As you rise, simultaneously press the weight overhead, fully extending your arms. Lower the weight to chest level and repeat for 10 to 15 repetitions.

I really like this exercise, because so many body parts are involved. Working the big muscles (legs, glutes) helps to get our heart rate up, increase blood flow - also to the brain - which in turn will let us feel energized after the workout and ideally throughout the whole workday :)

This is a great exercise for engaging a lot of muscles in the body. It will tax your body, and you may well find yourself tiring quickly. If that happens be aware of your form in the squat while holding the dumbbells in the front rack position at your shoulders.

This is a great all-over body workout. Really challenges the core along with targeting important muscle groups like the glutes.

I some way this movement always reminded me of the wave at sporting events. However, this move is a great challenge for the entire body as it requires you to act like a hydraulic pushing weight up and controlling it down keeping tension on at all times.

Rotational exercises are vital to counteract the sagittal plane dominance from daily activities like walking or sitting. They enhance whole-body coordination, engage underused muscles, and ensure a balanced body function. Incorporating movements like cable rotational pulls, medicine ball throws, and dynamic lunges with twists can improve functional capacity, muscular balance, and reduce injury risks. This balanced approach to fitness ensures our bodies are equipped to move efficiently in all directions, supporting overall health and well-being.

Another great functional exercise to help improve stability within each movement. This can transfer well to day-to-day activities that are three-dimensional. Helping to support a healthier and stronger body.

I hate lunges. So do many others... However, it's the nasty tasting medicine you only need a little to get a lot in return. Great for lower body development! Especially the glutes and we all can use the extra muscle there.

Si ustedes pueden observar, los patrones de movimiento de la mayor parte de las articulaciones carecen de extension maxima, pero exacerban la flexion y la rotacion olvidando completamente la extension. El ejercicio esta bien, siempre y cuando agreguen o complementen con otros que muevan las articulaciones en rangos de movimientos que no son considerados.

I would argue that this is one of the THE BEST office break movements. I think about this question more from the standpoint of what can be done with minimal space, no equipment, in business casual attire and then offer a huge bang for your buck. Activating underused and overstretched muscles like the hip flexors and glutes in a lunge, while combining it with a big rotation that counteracts the desk posture happening the rest of the workday.

This exercise targets the chest, back, and arms while improving core and scapular stability. Grab a pair of dumbbells or kettlebells. Begin in a push-up position with hands on the weights and feet slightly wider than shoulder-width. Lower your body to the floor, then push up while pulling one weight to your chest. Alternate sides for 8 to 10 reps per side. Focus on maintaining proper form and controlled movements throughout.

I like both done separately for upper body development. However, if your looking to show off in front of others it does make for a good show.

Who’s doing this exercise? Are we writing these workouts for retired performers of Cirque du Soleil? If you want to tackle this one, you better be really strong or it will look like a complete train wreck. Most people can’t even do the push up correctly - always a good idea to pile on and add a single arm row. This exercise takes an extreme amount of core stability - something that I don’t see a whole lot of in the gym. I would again break these exercises out. Push-ups, static full plank and then full body-weight plank with single-arm row.

If your work day involves an office setting, & assuming you don’t have a place to shower after sweaty exercise, I would suggest ‘Exercise Snacking’ throughout the day. An exercise snack is a short challenging task that can be completed in 0:30-2 mins. Typically they require no warm up and you are done before you are drenched in sweat. Make sure they are both appropriate for your body and for your surroundings. Examples of exercise snacks could include: -Wall Sit -Plank -Brisk walk/jog up two flights of stairs -Push Ups -Walking Lunges -30 Fast Jump Jacks -high knee running/marching on the spot. You would only opt in for one exercise snack at a time. Spread them out throughout your day. Make a weekly punch card for fun/accountability.

Segun la evidencia, casi cualquier dise?o de programa puede ayudar. De hecho la evidecia habla de que no hay UNA mejor forma de entrenar, UNA mejor forma de ser mas fuertes. Si estamos dise?ando un tipo de programa general, este puede ser uno de ellos. La descripcion esta muy buena.

I like to start my day with some variation of the following in bed before my feet hit the ground: - Roly-polys - Knee to chin tuck and hold - Knees at 90 degree side-to-side truck rotations into extended leg - Downward dog to upward dog - Legs up against the wall - Childs pose I feel that this sets my day off well and increases the awareness of where I am holding body tightness.

Siempre he pensado que las planchas estan sobre valoradas. Sirven, funcionan, sin embargo el entrenamiento de "core" es un concepto sobre utilizado y sobre valorado. Si hablamos de un trabajo funcional y practico para el deporte, prefiero las acciones musculares de pie con rotacion que activen la musculatura del tronco.

Middle of the day just to wake things up an recharge? For me it's a set up pull ups and a set of push ups. Simple and it makes me feel good.

Any type of movement will energize you during your (work)day! For me energizing breathing technique’s with some short yoga sequence works great! ????

Incorporating exercises from sagittal, frontal, and transverse planes enhances neurophysiological health, improving cognitive functions, motor skills, and proprioception. This variety stimulates brain plasticity, reduces stress, and increases mental well-being, making workouts more engaging. It also boosts adaptability and resilience, both physically and neurologically. By diversifying workouts with multi-planar movements, you're not only building a stronger body but fostering a sharper, more adaptable mind.

If there’s one single compound movement that is a great all rounder, then the chosen exercise I recommend would be ‘The Deadlift’. The movement itself is fundamentally a function we use in everyday life. From picking up our children to unloading shopping and assembling of furniture, all our basic tasks require a deadlift in one form or another. It involves a pull, a hinge, grip strength, core stability, upper and lower body working together and focuses on using correct form, body posture, mental and physical strength. There are thousands of different exercises, some will target specific muscles, this exercise is one that really works the anatomy across multiple facets.

After any workout/training/practice, reflect on how you are feeling mentally, physically, and emotionally; what went well and what needs some attention. Bring your whole self to the experience, listen to your body, it is more intelligent than you mind!

Consider "exercise snacks". Exercise snacks are super-short high-intensity efforts. Done every few hours throughout the day. With some early but impressive research to support it helping: ?? Curb blood sugar and insulin after a meal ?? Reversing the effects of sitting at work ??♂? Cardio fitness 100% effort for 20 seconds. Squats. Stair climbs. Or with equipment if you’ve got it. Time-efficient and sweat-free.

Get out of your chair and walk for 2 minutes. or, if you cannot leave your work area, stand and do high knee raises for 1 minute. add shoulder rotations. be active.