Wednesday, March 10, 2010

What in the world is FUNCTIONAL TRAINING?

We've all heard the buzz words - "core"- "pelvic floor engagement" - "stabilization exercises" - "compound exercises" -"functional training"; do you have ANY IDEA what they mean? What's the core: your abs? Is pelivc floor engagment a fancy word for kiegels? Stabilization - that means just staying still, right?

Functional Training is just a fancy phrase for what humans do every day of their lives - move! You don't move one muscle group at a time unless you act like a robot. You move in all different angles, with muscles in your legs, back, abs and arms moving at the same time.

Functional training works your body in the manner your body moves - different directions usually at the same time. Working your arms while doing a leg exercise like a lunge or squat helps to keep your body strong and stable, not to mention balanced. You don't live your life seated - (a popular TRX saying)- so don't exercise that way. Standing with diagonal movements helps keep your back and abs strong - no more reaching for a can and wrenching your back!

Think of the way you live your life - bending and reaching; Straightening and pulling; pushing and twisting. Exercises that help strengthen muscles during those moves keep you safe - and strong. Find a NATIONALLY BOARD CERTIFIED TRAINER to help you discover the functional movements in you!

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