Functional exercises are movements that, consider, both the specific muscle and the group of tissue that is responsible for maintaining the person’s posture and balance. Designed to work on performance, they do not require extreme stress on the joints, functional exercises have managed to position themselves as a trusted routine in the new wave of «fitness» that has submerged today’s society.
A functional exercise differs from a localized one, since in the latter, muscle is worked at the same time, while in the former several groups are focused during the same routine. Supported by several studies focused on health, functional exercises have shaken the use of other resistance movements, since their efficiency in preventing injuries and improving physical performance has been superior to their predecessors.
A main area that is worked during functional exercise is the abdominal part, due to the fact that this muscular zone is in charge of giving stability and balance to the person who practices them, in turn, that proprioception is worked on, a conception that relates to the way in which the individual is perceived in a certain space.
Functional exercises are versatile and multidirectional. This has been another factor that has made it popular among the community dedicated to the world of wellness and comprehensive health. Sequences from left to right, diagonally, both vertically and horizontally, functional movements also achieve the development of coordination, working large segments of the body at the same time, and taking care of the injury of delicate areas such as the joints of the limbs. lower.
The specialist, María Laura García, lists certain keys to consider when performing a functional exercise. «Functional Training must be based on the four pillars of human movement: walk or move and stand; do center of power or torso twists; push or pull and changes of direction.”
Secondly, a functional exercise should imitate “as much as possible” movements that are performed in the daily routineas this will prepare, compensate, and at the same time, tone the entire muscle complex, facilitating the habit of unity at the time of training.
There are certain routines that do not deserve it, but for those who prefer to add a little more resistance, can be used from elastic bands, unstable platforms, Swiss balls or medicine balls, in order to provide greater rigor to each exercise performed. Even so, a functional exercise does not require greater overload, as other types of routine do, since its added value lies in avoiding joint injury caused by excess resistance.
Feeling good and looking good is a job of time and effort. The evolution in exercise routines must always be accompanied by adequate nutrition and hydration. A person must be aware that only with discipline, focus, and dedication, will he be able to see the changes that he so desires, sooner rather than later.