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Functional Training
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Fitness Balls Put The Fun in Function For Kids
Children can get the benefits of functional fitness with a cardio ball, also known as a fitness ball. For many children, a cardio ball seems like a fun toy, and they are eager to try any kind of functional training exercises that involve rolling around with the ball.
The back extension is an easy cardio ball exercise that promotes functional fitness by strengthening the lower back, and it can be a helpful addition to functional training workouts for people of all ages.
-Start by placing the ball under the hips or lower torso, with toes and the floor and legs either straight or bent slightly at the knees. The upper body will be folded over the front of the ball.
-Keeping the hands either behind the head or clasped behind the back, roll the ball towards the head.
-Lift the chest off the ball as it approaches the mid-back, so the body forms as straight a line as possible along the head, neck, shoulders, and back
-The abs should be pulled in towards the spine, but the back should not be hyperextended.
-Hold for a few seconds and return to the starting position.
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Be Flexible About Functional Fitness
Any overall fitness routine should include stretching and flexibility training. In particular, a tight upper back can contribute to injuries and chronic pain, and get in the way of daily activities. Upper back tightness is especially common in office workers who spend hours typing on a keyboard. But stretching the upper back can relax the muscles and help make a functional training workout more effective.
Although some people enjoy stretching, others are less enthusiastic. But the Gymnic ball can be a useful piece of functional fitness equipment because it makes flexibility exercises more functional, and more comfortable than simply stretching on the floor.
Try this basic exercise using a Gymnic ball to stretch the upper back:
-Position the ball in front of you, and kneel behind it so that your chest is on the ball.
-Roll forward and straighten your legs, keeping the ball under the chest.
-Allow the body to fold around the ball to stretch the upper spine.
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Coordination Class: Try An Exercise Ball Pass
Fitness ball exercises that involve the arms and legs in the same move are effective as part of a functional training routine because they encourage different muscle groups to work together.
Try a ball pass crunch using a large fitness ball, such as a Gymnic exercise ball, as part of a functional training program for yourself or your fitness clients:
-Start by lying on your back and holding a large fitness ball in both hands.
-Raise your legs to about a 45-degree angle, with knees bent so that the shins are parallel to the floor
-Lift the torso, keeping the head in line with your spine as much as possible, and place the ball between your lower legs.
-Slowly lower your legs almost to the floor as you lean the torso back and reach your arms back over your head.
-Raise your torso again, and reach forward and grab the ball. Lean back, holding the ball above your head.
-Alternate passing the ball between your hands and legs. Start with 10 repetitions and add more as desired.
Reminder: For this exercise, the ball should be fully inflated.
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Try Functional Training For Top Sports Performance
Strong core muscles are the foundation of functional fitness. The gist of functional fitness is that it trains the body to become more effective at the activities you do as part of daily living. Similarly, functional training for sports can help competitive athletes in their training, in part because the brain thinks in terms of movements, not specific muscles. For example, squats are more of a functional fitness exercise than knee extensions for training the quads because the muscles and joints are working together, rather than being isolated.
Also, the strong core muscles developed in functional training can help athletes reduce their risk of injury during sports-specific workouts. That’s why many functional fitness exercises add an element of instability by using a balance board or fitness ball. The movement of the arms and legs, whether running, cycling, or golfing, starts with the spine, and that’s how functional training can contribute to success in any sport.
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Add Medicine Balls For Core Strength And Function
Medicine balls count as functional fitness equipment when they are used to engage the body in ways that combine strength and balance.
For example, the basic push-up builds muscles that are important for reaching and lifting in many daily activities. But doing push-ups on a small medicine ball takes this move to the next level and creates a functional core training exercise. Elevating one hand on the ball makes this exercise more challenging, and rolling the ball from one hand to the other between push-ups engages your core muscles.
-Start in a push-up position with your knees or toes on the floor, depending on your preferred level of difficulty.
-Place a small medicine ball under the right hand and keep the left hand flat on the floor.
-Find your balance, and then do a push-up.
-Switch the ball to position it under the left hand, and repeat the exercise.
-Focus on keeping your body in a straight line, even if that means you can’t dip down as far as you would in a traditional push-up.
If this exercise is too difficult at first, use a slightly softer medicine ball.
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Squats Offer One Stop Shopping For Functional Fitness
One of the goals of a functional training routine is to strengthen the core muscles and help the body work more fluidly when lifting, reaching, standing, and balancing.
Are you looking for one exercise that incorporates several of these elements? Add squats to your functional training workout. The squat strengthens the knees, quads, and hips, and teaches them to work together. Most of the reaching, lifting, or bending movements we perform in daily living involve some variation on a squatting or lunging motion.
If your fitness clients are new to squats, start with a typical standing squat, which involves pushing the hips back and keeping the knees in line with the toes. For a more advanced version: Stand and balance on a balance disc or balance board, and then lower into a squat. Extend the arms straight in front of you at shoulder length, with palms facing in, to help maintain balance. Return to a standing position, and repeat as desired.
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Functional Strength Training: Movement, Not Muscle
The term “functional strength training” has been widely interpreted in the fitness industry. According to the American Council on Exercise (ACE), functional strength training is not about how much force a muscle or muscle group can generate. Instead, functional strength training involves coordination between the muscles and the nervous system. What that means for exercise: The strength generated by one muscle movement enhances the performance of another muscle movement.
For the fitness professional who is designing a functional training workout, it’s important to think about the functional movements that you want to improve, and then break them down. Focus on each specific strength training exercise to ensure that it engages the muscles in a way that’s similar to the desired final movement. By strengthening each element (including muscle coordination, speed, range of motion, and type of muscle contraction), you can become more adept at a particular movement (such as a golf swing or sprinting stride) with practice.
As the ACE notes, “The only entirely functional exercise is the actual activity one is training for.”
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Oblique Twists Improve Functional Fitness
Core fitness is an important component of functional fitness, and every functional core training program needs a variety of abdominal exercises. Introduce different types of abdominal workouts—especially those that involve equipment such as a cardio ball or medicine balls—to encourage different muscles to work together.
Try adding this seated oblique twist (also known as a Russian twist) to a functional training routine:
-Sit on the floor or on an exercise mat with knees bent and feet flat on the floor, holding a medicine ball in both hands directly in front of your chest. Your torso and thighs should form about a 45-degree angle.
-Keeping your back straight, contract your abs as you turn to the left, and touch the ball to the floor on the outside of your left hip.
-Contract your abs again as you twist to the left, and touch the ball to the floor on the outside of your left hip.
-Continue to alternate for the desired number of repetitions.
This exercise can be made easier or harder by varying the weight of the medicine ball.
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