Low Impact Functional Fitness - How Does this Improve Strength and the Quality of Life?

 

What is Low Impact Functional Fitness?

Low impact functional fitness is strength training exercises that enhance your mobility and movement creating a more effective functional body for your every day tasks. Low impact means the joints and muscles will not endure any stress during these workouts.

Functional movements will take our joints through their full range of motion, whilst working the stabilising muscles at the same time. This is so important in preventing injury and promoting healthy movement back into our bodies. Functional workouts do not isolate any particular one muscle but work several muscles all in one go.

Working on your functional fitness will improve your quality of life. Building strength and increasing mobility will tweak certain tasks such as carrying heavy shopping bags from the supermarket to your car. You will be able to carry heavier loads for a longer space of time, lift bulkier objects above your head to place on high shelving and lift your own body weight in and out of a bath with ease to name just a few.

The Benefits of Functional Fitness

Low impact functional fitness is for everyone regardless of age, fitness levels or fitness experience. The best functional fitness class will include basic human movement in different directions, with an assortment of speeds, using a mixed bag of equipment including gym machines, free weights, TRX bands and body weight to engage many muscle groups as well as improving your cardio health. 

Improved movement efficiency

Functional fitness classes include all the basic human movements. The body is designed to move in certain ways to be effective and efficient. Our bodies can become lazy with time and we lose the movement pattern and become inefficient which can sadly cause damage and injuries over time. The basic movements implemented into functional movement classes are squats, hinges, push movements, pull movements and loaded carries. 

Improved mobility and coordination

Strength training is the ability to move through a range of motion with external loads. This improves mobility and many compound functional movements such as squats, lunges and hinges not only improve joint mobility but also enhance muscle and movement coordination.

Increased muscle strength

Move it or lose it - no truer words are spoken. Muscle growth and increased strength requires consistency. Functional fitness engages all muscle groups helping to maintain lean muscle mass from youth through to old age with regular exercise. Strength training reduces the effects of ageing, maintains good bone health and keeps you strong and fit well into your later years.

Helps with the management pain

If you suffer from joint or muscle pain then functional fitness will aid in the management of pain. Functional fitness is a training therapy that promotes mobilisation of joints and muscles through a wide range of movement. Functional exercises revitalise, renew and restore the body through modifying exercises until the full movement through muscle and joint is obtainable. This will be noticed when doing normal everyday activities that used to be painful and uncomfortable and now achieved with ease.

Strengthens the core muscles

Functional training mimics every day movement, improving your balance, coordination, stability and agility. So many functional exercises incorporate the engagement of your core muscles to enhance these components of fitness. By strengthening and engaging the core muscles not only are you enhancing your balance and stability but you are also protecting your vital organs, reducing any pain in your back, preventing injury and improving your posture. 

What Type of Exercises are Used in a Functional Training Workout 

The best type of functional workout class is a low impact circuit class. Each station is set up with a functional exercise and each exercise is performed for a set amount of time with a short rest between each station. Each station has a different movement using an assortment of equipment for the entire circuit. This makes a fun and interesting class with each individual working at their own speed and ability. The instructor will be watching the class and correcting their students form if needed to make the class as safe as possible. 

For example a class may have 8 stations, performing one minute of exercise with a 15 second rest period between each station plus a rest period between each circuit. Three full circuits are achievable in a 45 - 60 minute class (depending on the rest time between the stations and the circuits plus the warm up and cool down sections).

A Low impact circuit class example:

Station 1    Sit to Stand 

Sit to stand strengthens your lower body and is a squat movement. This exercise helps to maintain or improve your mobility. 

Station 2    Band Chest Fly 

A chest fly is a push movement and opens up and strengthens the chest muscles. It may also help to reduce upper back pain, improve posture and increase your range of motion.

Station 3    Jogging or walking on the spot

Jogging or walking on the spot is a cardio exercise. This boosts your cardiovascular function, enhances lung capacity and improves circulation

Station 4    Band Lat Pull Down

Lat Pull Down is a pull exercise and strengthens the shoulders, back, arms and core. Lat Pull Down also improves posture, stability and grip strength

Station 5    Kettlebell Sumo Deadlift

Sumo Deadlift is a hip hinge exercise and activates the core muscles and parts of the lower back muscles (posterior chain). This exercise will improve your health, posture and hip flexibility.

Station 6    Farmers Walk

The Farmers Walk is a loaded carry. This is an amazing full body workout. It improves posture, cardiovascular health and endurance whilst improving muscle strength, power and balance.

 

Station 7    Bosu Ball Static Balance

One of my favourite pieces of equipment - the Bosu Ball. The Bosu Ball is a functional tool for both static (still) and dynamic (moving) balance exercises. The Bosu not only tests your physical balancing skills but also your motor and proprioception skills.

Station 8    Core/High Knee with a Twist

High Knee with a Twist exercise engages all the abdominal muscles and improves your cardiovascular health. This exercise will also burn calories, improves lower body muscle endurance and enhances coordination skills.

Low Impact Functional Fitness as a Circuit Workout

As you can see from just eight stations, this is a full body strength and cardiovascular endurance workout. In 45-60 minutes you have worked practically all your muscle groups in a functional way. Every exercise mimics our daily activities (push, pull, squat, hinge and loaded carry) plus an additional cardio workout. Circuit Training is the best class for all-round fitness and I cannot promote this enough. During a circuit class you are more than likely able to complete three circuits which is equal to 3 sets of repetitions in a gym environment or in other words a gym workout. If you partake in a circuit class twice a week this equates to two strength training sessions.

If you find the gym boring or cannot find the motivation for a gym programme then try a functional circuit workout. This type of class is usually a very sociable class and due to the timings at each station, the workout is definitely far from boring.

©HealthyForeverFitnessMotivation

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