Red Deer Physiotherapist writes:
The F-Word. Everyone knows it. Secretly we all use it. Some of us use it and don’t even know we use it. If you’re not using it, what are you waiting for??
Let’s lay down some pro’s and con’s to using the F-Word:
Pro’s:
- easy to say
- rolls off the tongue
- most people know what it means
- part of every day life
Con’s:
- there are none…
Now that I have your attention…the F-Word I’m talking about here is seemingly the newest BUZZ word in fitness…it’s FUNCTIONAL. (insert simultaneous eye roll plus groan here)
Functional patterns are combinations of simple movements we do in every day life. (It also happens to be the brand name of a company that promotes, trains and teaches this approach to exercise and training.) Exercises that include all planes of movement (forward-back, side to side, rotation), and often appear to mimic day to day activities, are what to look for when anyone starts to talk about Functional patterns.
Functional fitness is a method or approach to training that focuses on creating wellness and fitness that is transferable to daily life activities. Functional fitness is the result of incorporating the use of functional patterning into your workout so that results are not just do-able in the gym in a ‘perfect’ environment.
Strength, agility, mobility, balance, endurance and performance should be available to us while we work and play.
Your deadlift weight won’t mean “squat” if you can’t carry your groceries in from the car.
Tammy Twyne
Latest posts by Tammy Twyne (see all)
- The F-Word… - January 23, 2016
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