Functional training is a big buzz word around the fitness world nowadays. To some it is the holy grail, to others it is a bunch of nonsense. Most trainers and fitness fans are on the band wagon; a few think it is a lot of "sound and fury signifying nothing" advocated by idiots. The naysayers like to make the point that all exercise is functional. In a sense, that is true enough (we will get to that); in a profound sense it is simply a confession that they are too busy or too intellectually lazy to study the question. Alright, that no doubt P-Oed a few. If it hit a nerve, maybe you should ask yourself why.
Functional training is usually defined as training that mimics activities of daily life. We all have to engage in certain activities involving movement; e.g. standing, bending, reaching, walking, turning, bringing our hands to our mouths (which we probably do too often) etc. If we leave the definition of functional training at this point, then those who rant that all exercise is functional and the functional training movement is sound and fury have a point that will be hard to rebut.
I prefer to define functional training as exercises mimicking the activities of daily living that are done using proper form; i.e. correct dynamic and static posture. This means your trainer must have a good understanding of the human movement system. All exercise, then, is not functional. Exercise done using improper form is patently dysfunctional. The focus of "functional training" is to undo the dysfunctional patterns of learned movement and retrain your body to move in the way it was designed to move; thus alleviating and/or preventing the damage and chronic pain that inevitably accompany repeated dysfunctional movement.
When you have trained your body to move as it was designed, not only do you avoid the injuries and pain that follow dysfunctional movement, you improve the performance of both athletic activities and the activities of daily living. Proper human movement, requires less effort, provides an economy of energy and minimizes the likelihood of injury and chronic pain.
If you are self-training or considering self-training, do yourself a favor and hire a trainer knowledgeable in the human movement system to assess you. Just because it feels right does not mean it is right. If you have developed a pattern of wrong movement, it will feel right and the right movement will feel wrong until you have corrected it. However right the wrong movement may feel, if left uncorrected it will not only negatively impact performance but will eventually lead to injury and chronic pain. A few half-hour sessions with a good trainer is money well spent.
If you have developed patterns of improper movement, that includes poor posture, you will do well to find a good 'functional trainer' or corrective exercise specialist, (Some make a difference between functional training and corrective exercise; I don't. Training proper function is correctional)
Functional training is usually defined as training that mimics activities of daily life. We all have to engage in certain activities involving movement; e.g. standing, bending, reaching, walking, turning, bringing our hands to our mouths (which we probably do too often) etc. If we leave the definition of functional training at this point, then those who rant that all exercise is functional and the functional training movement is sound and fury have a point that will be hard to rebut.
I prefer to define functional training as exercises mimicking the activities of daily living that are done using proper form; i.e. correct dynamic and static posture. This means your trainer must have a good understanding of the human movement system. All exercise, then, is not functional. Exercise done using improper form is patently dysfunctional. The focus of "functional training" is to undo the dysfunctional patterns of learned movement and retrain your body to move in the way it was designed to move; thus alleviating and/or preventing the damage and chronic pain that inevitably accompany repeated dysfunctional movement.
When you have trained your body to move as it was designed, not only do you avoid the injuries and pain that follow dysfunctional movement, you improve the performance of both athletic activities and the activities of daily living. Proper human movement, requires less effort, provides an economy of energy and minimizes the likelihood of injury and chronic pain.
If you are self-training or considering self-training, do yourself a favor and hire a trainer knowledgeable in the human movement system to assess you. Just because it feels right does not mean it is right. If you have developed a pattern of wrong movement, it will feel right and the right movement will feel wrong until you have corrected it. However right the wrong movement may feel, if left uncorrected it will not only negatively impact performance but will eventually lead to injury and chronic pain. A few half-hour sessions with a good trainer is money well spent.
If you have developed patterns of improper movement, that includes poor posture, you will do well to find a good 'functional trainer' or corrective exercise specialist, (Some make a difference between functional training and corrective exercise; I don't. Training proper function is correctional)
