A Functional Fitness Perspective

In the realm of fitness, we're often bombarded with discussions on why, how, and when to exercise. Yet, amidst this chatter, there's a crucial question that frequently slips under the radar: What should you exercise?

Fitness influencers and experts advocate various activities like walking, running, strength training, and swimming. While any activity that elevates your heart rate for a sustained period qualifies as exercise, the manner in which we engage our bodies during these sessions and their impact on daily life deserve closer attention.

Enter functional fitness—a holistic approach that incorporates movements essential for daily activities, coupled with weights or your own body weight. It's not just about looking good; it's about training our bodies to navigate the challenges of both today and tomorrow.

Consider this: If you're a new parent at 30, envision yourself chasing after grandkids at 60. Will you have the energy and agility to keep up with their boundless enthusiasm?

Or perhaps you're a working woman in her 40s, juggling professional responsibilities and household chores. Can you effortlessly reach the upper cabinets in your kitchen without breaking a sweat?

And for those in their 50s who still enjoy offline grocery shopping, don’t you feel carrying groceries to your home should be easy?

How about those who rely on public transportation? Wouldn't it be ideal to effortlessly hop onto a bus without breaking a sweat or ascend railway bridges from one platform to another without feeling out of breath?

These seemingly mundane tasks often go unnoticed until age catches up. But why wait until then to address them? Let's integrate these everyday movements into our fitness routines:

1. Push: Engage your upper body muscles to push weight away from you. For most of us it is performed in activities like pushing open doors or lifting objects overhead.

Imagine yourself putting your cabin luggage in the overhead bins of the aeroplane.

1. Pull: Strengthen your back and arms by pulling weight toward you. Pulling open a stuck drawer or a heavy door. ?
2. Squat: Build lower body strength and mobility by squatting down and standing up, vital for movements like sitting and standing or picking up items from the ground.

Imagine effortlessly picking up your grandkids toy from the floor.

The English style of toilets has unfortunately ruined the lower body strength of us Indians. Would like to write more about this in a future post.

3. Hinge: Develop posterior chain strength by bending at the hips while maintaining a straight back, akin to movements like bending over to lift objects or tying shoelaces.

You perform this everyday when you pick a heavy object from the floor. A lot of the back injuries can be attributed to poor hinge form because people try to use their back to pick up objects instead of hinging right and using their legs.

4. Carry: Improve grip strength and overall stability by holding and walking with heavy objects, mirroring tasks such as carrying groceries or lifting luggage.

5. Run: Enhance cardiovascular endurance and overall fitness by jogging, running, or sprinting, essential for simple activities like chasing after a bus or running to catch a train.

If you're struggling to visualize the significance of these exercises, take a moment to glance at people performing either one or a combination of these movements everywhere around you.

If you have a question on how anybody and (absolutely anybody who is not at all into fitness) should include this in their daily routine always remember that you have two options –

A.???? Comment

B.???? Linkedin Message

I'll be delighted to offer guidance.

Remember, it's not just about sculpting a physique—it's about nurturing a body capable of thriving in every facet of life.

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

?