With the shift in focus from fitness to a much more practical full body workout, functional training has become a buzzword these days. Functional training is what has come to be known as the “real world” fitness in current times. It helps elevate daily life by focusing on your mobility, strength and power. Functional training was originally started for people in rehab, who after a surgery needed to re-teach their groups of muscles to work together.
The same philosophy is now fused into top-level fitness to enhance the day-to-day function of the body. The benefits of functional training differ from other workouts because of the way it targets the whole body. With functional training, you not only improve on that level but also ameliorate your overall balance, and movement which helps you in day-to-day activities. A mere manoeuvre of getting off the chair is easier to your overall body and in the long term, it is a critical gain.
Tyre flipping
Known as the best activity under functional fitness training, it follows two primal movements namely ‘the bend’ and ‘the lift’. It works brilliantly on glutes/hamstrings, core, detector spinal and trapezius muscles. It is also a great strength and endurance builder. When performing the various tyre movements correctly, they can enhance the strength, power development, and conditioning of anyone willing to challenge them.
Battling rope
Battling rope is a brilliant functional accessory that works on the entire body. Everything from core to deltoids to arms gets worked upon, and if performed with the right intensity, it is also a brilliant training to improve endurance and cardio-respiratory fitness. As ropes create forces and tension from angles that are harder to achieve with basic weight training, they lead muscles into making new gains. Also, once comfortable with battle ropes, they can be included into a regular workout.
Rock climbing
This is a good cardiovascular training and an excellent calorie-burning exercise, which can help you achieve or maintain a healthy body weight. It reduces your risk for chronic diseases, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol and diabetes. No doubt you will experience numerous external and internal distractions during a climb, and dealing with these can lead to mental toughness. The act of climbing necessitates a steady mind that is willing to do whatever it takes to meet the challenge of the task.
Agility Ladder
It is one of the cheapest accessories, and can be a lot of fun for clients of any skill level. Excellent in working upon agility, which is change in direction with speed along with proprioception. This workout prevents lower back and knee Injuries. Agility training helps build the mind-body connection. It improves balance and coordination, and syncs movements for smooth, coordinated transitions. If performed on a regular basis, it helps build strength in the musculoskeletal system, which in turn can shorten recovery time.
— The writer is a Delhi-based entrepreneur with a successful chain of gyms.
