What are the best functional training exercises to prevent age-related muscle loss?

1 Benefits of functional training

Functional training offers numerous benefits for your health and well-being, especially as you age. It can enhance your muscle quality and quantity, helping to maintain metabolism, posture, and bone density. Joint stability and range of motion can be improved, reducing the risk of arthritis, osteoporosis, and joint pain. Cardiovascular and respiratory fitness can be boosted, which lowers blood pressure, cholesterol, and inflammation. Additionally, functional training challenges your neuromuscular system, improving balance, agility, and reaction time. It also increases your functional capacity so that daily activities can be performed with more ease, confidence, and independence.

2 How to do functional training

Functional training can be done with various equipment, such as dumbbells, kettlebells, resistance bands, medicine balls, or your own body weight. The key is to choose exercises that target multiple muscle groups and joints at once and that simulate the actions you do in real life. For instance, instead of doing isolated bicep curls, you can do compound exercises like rows, lunges, or presses that work your arms, legs, core, and back. Additionally, you should vary the intensity, duration, frequency, and complexity of your workouts to keep your muscles challenged and adaptable. To ensure you get the most out of your functional training sessions, here are some guidelines to follow: warm up for 10 minutes with some light cardio and dynamic stretches; do 2-3 sessions per week with at least 48 hours of rest between them; choose 6-8 exercises that cover all the major movement patterns; perform 8-15 repetitions of each exercise depending on your fitness level and goal; rest for 30-60 seconds between each exercise and for 2-3 minutes between each circuit; cool down for 10 minutes after each session with some gentle cardio and static stretches.

3 Best functional training exercises

Functional training exercises are a great way to prevent age-related muscle loss. Squats, deadlifts, lunges, push-ups, rows, and planks are all excellent exercises that work your whole body and challenge your strength, endurance, balance, and coordination. You can modify them according to your ability and preference, and use different equipment or weights as needed. Squats mimic the action of sitting and standing. Deadlifts mimic the action of picking something up from the ground. Lunges mimic the action of walking, running, or climbing stairs. Push-ups mimic the action of pushing something away from you. Rows mimic the action of pulling something toward you. Planks mimic the action of holding your body in a stable position. By doing these exercises regularly, you can keep your muscles strong and healthy.

4 Here’s what else to consider

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