Functional Fitness Training: Mirroring Physical Tasks in Daily Life

Going up and down a flight of stairs, bending down to lift an object, reaching for something stored on an upper shelf, or going for a brisk walk outdoors—all of these are examples of the everyday activities that people do. Each one requires a certain level of physical strength, endurance, power, balance, and flexibility. Most people do not consciously think about the muscles they use in performing these activities - until they sustain an injury that makes it difficult, if not impossible, to engage in what was once a very routine task. This is why functional fitness is so important.

Functional fitness is a training approach emphasizing movement patterns which mirror how people use their muscles to perform real-life tasks. Functional fitness training can improve a person’s muscular strength and flexibility and reduce their chance of injury. It can also enhance an individual’s balance, coordination, stamina, and mobility. A functional fitness training program can include exercises such as squats, lunges, push-ups, pull-ups, planks, walking, and jogging that involve the same muscle groupings used in daily physical activities or playing a sport. The American College of Sports Medicine ranks functional fitness training tenth among the top twenty trends shaping the fitness industry. Oladipo Eddo, associate professor of Kinesiology at George Mason University, recently discussed functional fitness and its role in keeping individuals healthy when performing everyday physical tasks.

Transferability

There are two crucial principles upon which the concept of functional fitness is based. First is the idea of transferability which is defined as the extent to which adaptations, skills, or performance improvements gained from training can transfer to other movements, activities, or real-life tasks. The gains realized from an exercise program that targets certain muscle groupings can transfer to real-life situations where a person uses the same muscle groupings in performing a specific activity in their daily lives. The notion of transferability is also important in the design of exercise programs for athletes who want to achieve peak performance in their sport.

Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands (SAID)

Exercise scientists say that an even more critical component of functional fitness is SAID or the Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands principle. This refers to how the body adapts in a highly specific manner to the type, intensity, and nature of the stressors applied through training. An exercise program structured around the SAID principle can help an individual meet the challenge of engaging in everyday physical activities throughout the lifespan. For example, an exercise regimen for an older adult who is concerned about bone loss might prioritize resistance training. This is a form of training that utilizes the body’s muscles in exerting a force against an external load which can be an elastic exercise band, dumbbells, kettlebells, free weights, barbells, an exercise machine, or similar objects that provide resistance. Resistance training exercises, when done properly, place repetitive stressors on a person’s bones and muscles. Research shows that this external stress can help to increase bone density and reduce the loss of bone as a person ages.

Similarly, low intensity agility drills, such as those utilizing an agility ladder, can improve an individual’s speed, power, flexibility, spatial orientation, and balance—all of which are key to minimizing the risk of falling in older adults. Repetitive agility drills can enhance neuromuscular and cardiovascular function in adults, and this can help them maintain optimal health and physical capacity during their later years.

Exercises should be chosen in support of the individual's specific fitness goals and priorities.

For individuals seeking to improve their functional fitness, it is important that they consult with a fitness professional to develop an exercise program that meets their specific needs and goals. The functionality of exercise is dependent on a person’s current physical abilities and fitness priorities. Once these are established, a fitness professional and their client can work together in identifying the movements that should be emphasized in an exercise program.

As an individual progresses in meeting their fitness goals, it is important to modify an exercise program accordingly so that the person continues to improve their physical abilities. Failure to do so could result in an individual reaching a plateau in their fitness journey where they no longer achieve additional gains from exercising.

For more information about degree offerings in the Kinesiology Program at George Mason University, please visit the program website.