Functional fitness can transform not only your body but also your everyday life.
Kayla Itsines is one of the most popular fitness trainers around these days, thanks to her Bikini Body Guide. She released her guide on Instagram, her blog, and her app, along with several recipes and motivational tips. Itsines is all about transforming your lifestyle, not just your body. Also, she considers mental fitness as important as physical fitness.
The Bikini Body Guide is a perfect example of functional fitness. The program is all about preparing you for life, as opposed to a marathon or weightlifting competition. It is simple really; functional fitness guides you to move your body in ways that mimic everyday things you do while engaging your muscles at the same time. A couple of examples are squatting like you are picking up a pencil on the floor or turning your body as if you were reaching for something on a shelf.
However, functional fitness is still a regimen. It is just designed to keep your body in line with regular daily movements. This will create a balance between your muscles and decrease your chances of injury. Some moves you might see in a functional fitness program include step-ups, lunges, and exercises that require your body to move through different planes of motion.
The benefits of this type of training are fantastic. You will notice a change in your overall strength and stability, as well as a change in the way that your body looks, should you have weight loss on your list of goals. There are many functional specific programs for you to follow. Honestly, you have probably been doing a few of the moves for years and didn't even realize you were utilizing functional fitness.
There is no one plan fits all when it comes to any sort of exercise. It is important for you to figure out what works best for your needs. Also, remember that it is okay to incorporate a couple of different types of programs into your workouts. Adding functional fitness can be a nice change of pace for someone who has previously focused on hardcore weight or cardio workouts. Your body will appreciate the switch up, especially your muscles!
Have you ever tried functional fitness? If so what did you think of it? Let us know in the comments!
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