Do you do any functional fitness training? If you want to improve your strength, build muscle and have your body ready to support you with everyday life, then you should be. This workout does all the above, it gets your heart rate up, but also builds on your strength, while the movements of the exercises will be beneficial for everyday activities. Also, it only consists of three-moves and will take you roughly 15 minutes – effective and speedy!
"But what actually is ‘functional fitness'?" you ask. Well, it’s basically exercises that prepare and support the body for everyday life and its activities, typically through the use of free weights or your bodyweight. The exercises help with movements like pushing, pulling, carrying and so on. “While increasing your overall strength will help you move better, combining strength training with exercises that mirror the movements of daily activities can provide an even more effective training regimen,” says Healthline. These type of exercises can range from your basic bodyweight squat and plank, to the more advanced pull up and sled push/pull.
This workout, you'll be pleased to know, includes no pull ups or sled pulls. In fact, you've only got three bodyweight exercises, so make sure you have something comfy beneath you, like an exercise or yoga mat and a good pair of workout shoes on. You're aiming to do 10 reps of each exercise and you're going to be doing 10 rounds in total. We know you're probably gasping in shock, but this is a short bodyweight workout designed to push you and help strengthen muscles that you'll use everyday. Take around a 90 second in between each exercise too. Here's what you're going to do:
- 10 squats
- 10 sit ups
- 10 push ups
If you're feeling a little unsure about the push ups then we've got a guide on how to do push ups, which also covers other variations you can do instead. If you can't do a regular push up, drop down to your knees instead or do them against a wall. The takeaway here is that whatever type of training you do, you should definitely incorporate some functional fitness exercises into it. Keen to do more? Here's five fitness moves that everyone should do.
