Imagine feeling more athletic at 32 than you did at 21. Imagine your body moving fluidly, without any aches, pain or discomfort.
Sounds like a dream, right? But what if I told you it’s entirely possible and within your reach? Yes, you heard it right.
You can achieve all of these through functional fitness – a style of training that has not only transformed my life but the lives of countless clients I’ve had the privilege to work with.
Functional fitness, as the name suggests, is all about training your body for everyday life rather than isolating muscles for aesthetic purposes.
It focuses on building a body that can do real-life activities in real-life positions, not just lifting a certain amount of weight in an idealized posture created by a gym machine.
This reminds me of my time playing college football. The recruits we had from midwestern states like Nebraska and Kansas were often referred to as “Farmboy strong”. This term wasn’t coined in reference to how much they could bench press or how many squats they could do. Instead, it was a testament to their unique strength that came from their day-to-day work on the farm – lifting heavy equipment, tossing hay bales, and so on. This kind of strength, the “Farmboy strength”, is what functional fitness is all about.
So, why did I, someone who has trained in various ways including sports performance, hypertrophy, and powerlifting, choose to prioritize functional fitness?
The answer is simple: It made me feel more athletic and agile, free of the knee and neck pain I used to experience. It might seem counterintuitive that I feel more athletic now, in my thirties, than I did in my early twenties when I was a college running back.
But that’s the magic of functional fitness.
Functional fitness exercises train your muscles to work together, simulating common movements you might do at home, work, or in sports. By using various muscles in the upper and lower body at the same time, functional fitness exercises also emphasize core stability. This approach to fitness improves the overall balance, coordination, force, power, and endurance of the body, making it easy to carry out everyday activities with ease and efficiency.
But that’s not all!
You can modify functional fitness exercises to fit any individual’s needs or fitness level. You can do them at home or in the gym, with equipment, or with body weight alone. They are diverse, engaging, and challenging, making your workout routine fun and exciting.
Let me share one of my favorite functional fitness exercises with you: the farmer’s walk.
You simply carry heavy objects in each hand and walk for a distance. This exercise not only strengthens your grip, arms, and shoulders but also improves your posture and stability. It’s a simple exercise, but it can make a big difference in your daily life by making tasks like carrying groceries or moving furniture easier.
Functional fitness is about more than just the physical benefits.
It’s about enhancing the quality of your life. It’s about being able to play with your kids without getting tired; carry your groceries without straining your back, and climb the stairs without losing your breath. And it’s about being confident in your body’s abilities and living life to the fullest.
If you’re ready to unlock your potential and experience the benefits of functional fitness, I’m here to help. At Terrell Wellness, we don’t just focus on functional fitness; we prioritize it. We believe in its ability to transform lives and want to share that belief with you.
Ready to take the first step towards a healthier, more agile, and pain-free life? Book a consultation with me today and let’s get you on the path to functional fitness.
