In today’s fast-paced world, everyone is concerned with being healthy and happy; however, many people feel as if they do not have the time needed to exercise. Unfortunately, a daily fitness regime is necessary to remain healthy. There are many ways to get the exercise you need, including enjoying the outdoors, a traditional gym routine or functional exercise. When it comes to exercise, which is better-Traditional exercises or functional exercises? Let’s take a look at the difference between the two.
A traditional exercise program is designed to improve physical fitness and flexibility, which helps to lower fat in the body, improve muscle tone and increase bone density. A functional exercise training program involves developing an exercise program that helps an individual perform daily activities like standing, bending, lifting and walking while helping to reduce the risk of injuries.
Traditional exercises focus on one type of exercise at a time. Furthermore, during weight training, you will target one major muscle group at a time. For example, a dumbbell curl helps to build up your biceps; however, this exercise will not help with daily activities. Functional training, on the other hand, focuses on movements that you use in your daily life, such as walking, lunges and squats. These exercises utilize multiple muscle groups to perform the activity to help improve body mechanics and prevent injury.
To maximize the effectiveness of your exercise routine, you must set suitable, effective and attainable goals. The first thing you want to do is determine why you are exercising. Are you exercising to improve your health, lose weight or build muscle? This one thing will help you determine the exercises that you should be incorporating into your fitness routine.
Your goals should also be measurable. For example, saying you want to lose weight is not enough. You need to determine the amount of weight loss you wish to attain in a given period. When coming up with a number, make sure it is not too extreme. Most people can expect to attain a 5 to 10 percent weight loss. Studies have shown that a healthy weight loss should be limited to 1 to 2 pounds each week. Therefore, if you want to 20 pounds, you should expect it to take between 3 to 5 months.
Once you have determined your goal, you need to come up with a game plan. For example, you could commit to drinking water instead of sodas, bring your lunch rather than eating out or commit to exercising at least 5 days a week for 30 minutes.
Functional training, according to a study published in the International Organization of Scientific Research, prepares the body for movements that it will experience in the real world. During these exercises, you will improve your stability, balance, lifting, bending and turning capabilities. Additionally, functional training ensures that the correct muscles are fired at the proper time.
The study took place over a period of eight weeks and included the following exercises:
After the eight-week period, participants experienced increased speed (3 percent), improved endurance (11.5 percent), increased agility (4 percent), improved strength (14 percent), more explosive power (5 percent), increased flexibility (23 percent) and increased muscular endurance (13 percent).
Everyone is created differently, which means that a workout that works for one person, may not work for another. When it comes to body types, there are three physiques – the apple, the pear and the banana. If you are apple shaped, you will have more fat around your midsection. Pear-shaped people have smaller upper bodies and larger hips and legs. Finally, banana-shaped individuals have an athletic frame. Let’s take a look at the best work out for each body type.
Bodyweight exercise vs free weights
When it comes to increasing strength, you can use either your own body weight or you can use free weights. Bodyweight exercises like pushups and squats do not require any weights other than your own body. Free weight exercises utilize equipment for resistance training.
According to Dr. Axe, men and women lose approximately six pounds of lean muscle mass every decade, which can lead to a lower metabolic rate. Increasing your muscle mass will increase lean muscle mass and help you stay leaner. Strength training exercises can also help lower blood pressure, stress and cholesterol levels, decrease bone pain and the risk of cardiovascular disease and improve detoxification.
Strength training exercises can use either free weights or your own body weight. Incorporating strength training exercises into your fitness routine twice or three times a week can help improve your health, strength and stability. When performing strength training exercises, do a full body workout, that includes your core, your chest, your arms and your legs.
Bodyweight exercises help you learn to control your body and increase your stability. Common bodyweight exercises include push-ups, pull-ups, lunges, planks, squats and sit-ups. One of the main benefits of bodyweight exercises is you do not need any special equipment and the exercises can be done almost anywhere.
Free weight exercises promote increased muscle growth and increased size. Common free weight exercises will use barbells and dumbbells such as shoulder presses, bicep curls, flies, leg lifts and bench presses. In order to work out, you must have access to weights, which means you must plan to strength train.
Some people think that traditional exercises are outdated; however, it can be beneficial for those who need to enhance certain muscle groups. Unfortunately, it can also lead to muscular imbalances if the overall plan does not include strength training of all muscle groups. Functional training can help athletes and non-athletes improve their fitness levels. Functional training helps to train the core, which can improve posture and minimize back pain. Your muscles develop naturally and do not become bulky. The exercises in a functional training program can be challenging and cause injury unless you are properly supervised or trained, so it is best to utilize a functional chiropractor or trainer who has experience in functional exercises.
Your BMI score is (Display BMI Score)
Your BMI is in a normal/healthy range for your height (Display Entered HEIGHT) and weight (Display Entered WEIGHT). You are most likely within the recommended weight range for someone of your height, age, and build and consequently are at a lower risk of developing chronic illnesses.
To ensure that you remain at a healthy weight, continue to eat a well-balanced diet that includes plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits, healthy fats, whole grains, low fat dairy products, nuts, beans, eggs, fish, poultry, and lean meat. In addition to a healthy diet, get at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise at least five days a week. For best results, also include strength training exercise at least two days a week.
Your BMI score is (Display BMI Score)
Your BMI is in an Overweight range for your height (Display Entered HEIGHT) and weight (Display Entered WEIGHT).
Typically, those with a higher BMI have more body fatness. Being overweight, you are at an increased risk of a number of health conditions and diseases, including:
It is advisable you speak with your integrative healthcare provider about the best weight loss approach for your unique health, dietary needs, and physical activity levels. Our health coach can work with you to set actionable and realistic goals and help you get started on your journey to optimum health.
For healthy and sustainable weight loss, you may need a combination of increased physical activity and calorie restriction. When substantial weight loss is necessary to reduce the risk of serious illness or death, significant lifestyle changes must be embraced. This includes some stress management techniques like yoga, tai chi, meditation, deep breathing exercises, and guided imagery.
Exercise is essential when it comes to weight loss. As with any activity, you should begin slowly and work your way up to more challenging fitness routines. Experts typically recommend low impact cardio exercises like walking or swimming. In addition to aerobic exercises, try to incorporate strength training exercises into your workout routine.
Having an elevated BMI increases your risk of illness and disease. Reducing your weight through diet and exercise decreases your risk of disease. In addition to this, reducing your overall weight increases your energy levels. As your energy levels increase, you will be able to perform more exercise, which will further improve your weight loss efforts, and as you begin to lose weight, you will feel better about yourself and your self-esteem will begin to improve
Your BMI score is (Display BMI Score)
Your BMI is in a Obese range for your height (Display Entered HEIGHT) and weight (Display Entered WEIGHT).
Typically, those with a higher BMI have more body fatness. Being obese, you are at an increased risk of a number of health conditions and diseases, including:
It is advisable you speak with your integrative healthcare provider about the best weight loss approach for your unique health, dietary needs, and physical activity levels. Our health coach can work with you to set actionable and realistic goals and help you get started on your journey to optimum health.
For healthy and sustainable weight loss, you may need a combination of increased physical activity and calorie restriction. When substantial weight loss is necessary to reduce the risk of serious illness or death, significant lifestyle changes must be embraced. This includes some stress management techniques like yoga, tai chi, meditation, deep breathing exercises, and guided imagery.
Exercise is essential when it comes to weight loss. As with any activity, you should begin slowly and work your way up to more challenging fitness routines. Experts typically recommend low impact cardio exercises like walking or swimming. In addition to aerobic exercises, try to incorporate strength training exercises into your workout routine.
Having an elevated BMI increases your risk of illness and disease. Reducing your weight through diet and exercise decreases your risk of disease. In addition to this, reducing your overall weight increases your energy levels. As your energy levels increase, you will be able to perform more exercise, which will further improve your weight loss efforts, and as you begin to lose weight, you will feel better about yourself and your self-esteem will begin to improve.
Your BMI score is (Display BMI Score)
Your BMI is in a Underweight range for your height (Display Entered HEIGHT) and weight (Display Entered WEIGHT).
If is advisable you speak with your integrative healthcare provider about managing your weight for your unique health, dietary needs, and physical activity levels.
Our health coach can work with you to set actionable and realistic goals and help you get started on your journey to optimum health.