4 exercises for functional fitness

So you don’t drool over bulging biceps, and you could care less about dropping a pants size. Why should you work out?

Two words: functional fitness.

Functional fitness is strength training to make your body better at doing everyday activities. This type of exercise focuses on real-life motions to increase your flexibility and general strength. That makes everything you do — from shopping to tying your shoes — a lot easier.

Here are some motions you likely do every day:

• Lifting: Think about how many times a day you pick up a bag, move a box, lift up a child or serve a meal. All of those actions require the strength to lift.
• Pulling: The opposite of lifting, pulling is important to opening and shutting doors, snagging things off shelves and picking socks up from the floor.
• Squatting and lunging: Sitting and standing with control helps avoid injury to your body and your furniture. Climbing hills and walking up stairs also require this form of functional strength.
• Balancing: Catastrophic falls are a real danger for older adults. Functional fitness improves your balance. That helps while walking, carrying items and performing numerous other tasks.
• Combinations of the above

Functional exercises

Here are four functional exercises that will help you build strength in the movements you need for everyday life. You can do them anywhere, anytime:

• Push-ups

Start with wall push-ups and progress to placing your hands on the kitchen counter.
You can do 5-6 while waiting for the microwave to finish. These firm your chest, arms, abs and
back.

• Squats or lunges

Most reaching, lifting and bending movements involve an element of
squatting or lunging. Remember to push out your tush and don’t let your knees go farther forward
than your toes. You’ll strengthen your knees, quads and hips.

• Grocery bag lift

Each time you go shopping strengthen your arms by lifting a bag 6 times to
the front, side and rear. You can also do a modified bicep curl. Just remember to keep your
shoulders back and abs tight while working your arms.

• Lift

Pick-up that heavy pet food bag or laundry basket by squaring your feet shoulder width
apart, squatting down, grabbing hold and pushing up with your legs. Put it down and do it again
If your knees hurt, practice lifting from a chair until you get stronger.

Functional equipment

You don’t need much equipment for functional fitness, but here are some basic tools to help you get results:

• Dumbbells: Begin with 3-4 pounds and progress to 8-10
• Body weight: Combined with jump ropes or exercise balls, body weight is often challenging on its own, especially with lunges and push-ups
• Resistance bands and loops: Replicate the exercises on a cable machine in the gym
• Exercise balls: A fun way to combine balance work with other exercises
• Medicine balls: Great for combo moves involving the shoulders