Functional training is the most effective form of fitness and health today. It’s “real-life” workouts. When your goal is to improve muscular endurance, strength, balance, posture, coordination and agility to not only get an effective workout but to prepare your body for everyday real-world activities, you want functional training.
Have you heard of someone being able to lift extreme weight at the gym who throws her back out pulling a toddler out of their car seat? Or how about the person who brags she can squat 225 lbs. at the gym, yet struggles to lift a suitcase at the airport. Why is this? Equipment at the gym moves in single planes of motion. Functional training makes you utilize your entire body — top to bottom, left to right, front to back and inside to out, incorporating twists and bends, as well.
Functional training classes are commonly found at local fitness facilities and studios. One of the best functional training tools today is the TRX Suspension Trainer — two straps that hang from an anchor point above head allowing for hundreds of functional workouts. Working on a TRX uses your core the entire time as you perform different exercises. With TRX training/classes, you build muscle strength and work on balance and endurance. TRX truly benefits people of all fitness levels and ages.
Another fun functional training exercise includes the use of warrior ropes/battling ropes — typically a 40-foot rope wrapped around an anchor point. You lift and slam the ropes in various styles to work your entire body and endurance. Again, this training targets the core, focusing on several muscle groups to build endurance, while working hard on an individual’s cardiovascular system.
H.I.I.T — High Intensity Interval Training — focuses more on cardiovascular endurance. H.I.I.T classes are typically 30-45 minute power packed classes that include short bursts (30 seconds) of high intensity (ie. sprinting) with low intensity recovery periods (15 seconds) i.e. light jog. With interval training, a daily activity like walking up the stairs becomes much easier.
Rachel Goodale is a trainer and instructor at Aerial Fitness and Spin-Sanity in Riverhead. Rachel is a certified RealRyder spin instructor and a TRX personal and group trainer. She is also co-owner of Paddle Fitness L.I. For more information visit AerialFitnessHotYoga.com
The survival of local journalism depends on your support.
We are a small family-owned operation. You rely on us to stay informed, and we depend on you to make our work possible. Just a few dollars can help us continue to bring this important service to our community.
Support RiverheadLOCAL today.
