By Connie Norman, Running Wolf Manager
Functional fitness exercises train your muscles to help you do everyday activities safely and efficiently. Find out more about functional fitness exercises ”” and what they can do for you at Running Wolf Fitness Center! It seems that at the gyms we are hearing about something called “functional fitness”. In effect any exercise that you do regularly helps to improve your day to day functions. However Functional fitness exercises are designed to train and develop your muscles to make it easier and safer to perform everyday activities, such as carrying groceries or running to catch the bus or playing a game of basketball with your kids.
What is functional fitness
training?
Functional fitness exercises train your muscles to work together and prepare them for daily tasks by simulating common movements you might do at home, at work or in sports. While using various muscles in the upper and lower body at the same time, functional fitness exercises also emphasize core stability. For example, a squat to bicep curl is a functional exercise because it trains the muscles used when you pick up an object from the floor or a table. By training your muscles to work the way they do in everyday tasks, you prepare your body to perform well in a variety of common situations. Functional fitness exercises can be done at home or at the gym. Running Wolf offers classes that incorporate functional fitness. Exercise tools, such as fitness balls, kettle bells and weights, are often used in these functional fitness workouts. Running Wolf Fitness Center offers a variety of classes to help you improve your functional fitness through better balance, agility and cardiovascular fitness such as:
Taiji-Qigong with Margaret that focuses on balance and agility among other things.
“Matter of Balance” for Elders, which focuses on better balance both in the home and outside the home to lessen your chance of falling.
Cardio classes like Cardio-Kickboxing and Zumba to strengthen core and also improve your cardiovascular fitness.
Different types of Yoga with Sheila and Dri that focus on strengthening and flexibility.
What are the benefits of functional fitness training at Running Wolf?
Functional exercises tend to be multijoint, multimuscle exercises. Instead of only moving the elbows, for example, a functional exercise might involve the elbows, shoulders, spine, hips, knees and ankles. This type of training, properly applied, can make everyday activities easier, reduce your risk of injury and improve your quality of life. So join us at Running Wolf for better overall functional fitness and have fun at the same time! For more information please call Running Wolf @ (612)872-2388. Happy October!
