Functional Exercises Essay

540 Words3 Pages
Kacy Hobbs Functional Exercises Functional training is a classification of exercise which involves training the body for the activities performed in daily life. Using functional training may help lead you to a better muscular balance and also better joint stability. The functional training is more specific to oneself, whether them being an athlete of any level, an average Joe, a rehabilitation patient or even your elderly. And depending on the person is the level of intensity determined. Even though the machine exercises are thought to be safer to use to some extent, they are restricted in most movements, which could later lead to injury, because they are not natural moves of the body. The traditional exercise machines isolate the muscle groups that they are being worked rather than working many at one time, such as functional. The traditional exercises would include the weight stack machines, the squats, bench press, etc. Some of the functional exercises include various different movements such as medicine ball overhead squats, band internal/external rotations, to balancing on the BOSU ball. All of the exercises are specific to ones doing, “athletes should train for the sport they play and focus on the best training activities that mimic their respective sports' movements.” Also the functional training is more recommended for patients rehabilitating after stroke. It has been shown that task specific training yields long lasting cortical reorganization which is specific to the areas of the brain being used with each task. Studies have also shown that patients make larger gains in functional tasks used in their rehabilitation, and since they are more likely to continue practicing these tasks in everyday living, they see better results and improvements in their follow ups. The standard resistance training machines are of limited use for functional training,
Open Document