What is functional training? Why is this the big buzz word in fitness? Because doing a hundred bicep curls may give you big strong biceps, but your back still goes out when you pick up a heavy load of laundry. Bicep curls do help you to be strong, and I am a big proponent of traditional strength training, but functional training is just that; functional. We use lot’s of muscle groups every day to go about our business. Housework, climbing stairs, picking up a child or working in a factory, all require many different muscles to get the work done. To really, truly strength train for all these everyday movements, choose workouts that use multi-muscle groups and that train the body for our every day use. That’s functional training.
Exercise tips from health and fitness magazines jump at you off the rack for one reason - to get your attention. These short sound bites promise a lot, but are they telling the truth? Sometimes. Buy a copy, bring it home and give the articles a test run. Where to start? Fabulous Thighs in 2 Weeks, Firm Your Butt In One Day, Fit At 50 And Beyond, Burn Fat While You Sleep, or Gorgeous Sculpted Arms. Too much information to really process? Can you really get something out if this?
Decide what your goals are and read the articles that inspire you. The workouts in fitness magazines tend to be incomplete, meaning they give you tidbits of great ideas but rarely a well-rounded workout. If you’re pressed for time, try to choose exercise that works more body parts at once. Pilates is an exercise method that works the whole body. For strength, flexibility and balance training, find a certified trainer and take Pilates for a test run. Home Pilates equipment, like a magic circle, a burst-resistant stability ball, or an exercise band, are simple to use and if you have limited space, won’t crowd your home.
So go ahead and try any of the fitness routines you find in a magazine, but supplement with well-rounded instruction.
Balance training is something to be enjoyed by all ages and abilities. It’s never too young or too old to start. Just take a few minutes each day and soon you’ll have more energy and stamina to face the day. Good balance training can help in the prevention of injuries. Kinesthetic awareness is important in our daily activities because it allows us to understand how our body communicates with itself.
Pilates improves strength and balance and some of the tools Pilates instructors use are stability balls. They help strengthen the core. The Airex Balance Pad Plus, the Balance Disc, Reebok Core Board are just some of the products designed to help your balance training program.
TheRotational Flexor is a wonderful balance training product that will help your sports conditioning. It isolates specific muscle groups similar to an athlete’s technique found in a golfer’s swing, or a tennis player’s stroke or baseball player’s ability to hit a baseball. As a rehabilitation tool, the Rotational Flexor helps patient’s hips and knees to function in their natural bio-mechanical patterns.
Other flexors to consider are the Stability Flexor, Ankle Flexor, Sports Flexor, Step Flexor and the Feet Flexor. All these flexors have tremendous rehab possibilities for men and women of all ages and abilities.
Medicine balls are good old-fashioned strength training tools. They vary in weight, but make sure the ball you choose isn’t too heavy so you’ll be able to work through a full range of motion. If the ball’s weight is too heavy for you, you will risk injury, so start with lesser weight and increase your strength slowly. You can move up to a heavier weighted medicine ball after you’ve built core, upper body and back strength. It may be a good idea to start your medicine ball workout with a personal trainer. Once you’ve learned and developed your skills, you can workout alone or with a Medicine Ball Rebounder.
It used to be that the month of June was the month for weddings. Not anymore. Popular bridal fitness programs that give you that buff bride look are now year round. The main objective is always the same. Brides want to look good and feel confident in their gowns. So find a qualified fitness trainer and begin a program. Along with a sensible diet, an exercise program will include cardio exercise and strength training. Depending on what type of dress you’ll be wearing your trainer will design a bridal fitness program that will surely make your special day memorable.
If you have sustained an injury, you might look into a rehab exercise program that incorporates Pilates as physical therapists are now using to help clients recover more quickly from their ailments. Pilates helps strengthen the weaker injured muscles and joints because the exercises are gentle. Pilates rehabilitation is preventive medicine.
The Balance Wedge can be used for functional training and improves stamina. The cast iron dumbbells helps build stronger muscles with a weighted resistive workout. Another great resistive training is working with the Xerdisc Plus Tubing System, a versatile rehab tool.
Stay healthy and strong today. Keep your body in balance and it will go a long way to prevent future injuries.
One sure fire way to maximize your ab workout is with stability ball exercises. Ball fitness can be a challenge for anyone at any stage of fitness because it helps strengthen the core, improve balance, and aids in developing better posture. Stability balls or fitness balls have become a mainstay in gyms. Try it alone or take a group class. Anyone can benefit.
There are different exercise balls each allowing for variations in your ball training, but the large (usually 65 cm) stability balls work balance and core because of their unstable surfaces. The stability ball is a great conditioning tool that will give you noticeable improvements and results.
Fitness Tip:
Not sure how much to inflate your ball? Inflate it enough to sit down on it, then make sure your knees are at a 90 degree angle or more when your knees are bent and your feet are placed on the floor. You never want your hips and pelvis lower than your knees. Start to get comfortable sitting on the ball, then try lifting one foot off the ground and balancing. Repeat on the other leg. Make sure to engage your abs!
My toddler has just learned to walk and is beginning to speak, but when she encounters a stability ball she’s not too sure what to make of it. She spreads her arms and grabs hold believing she’ll pick it up and throw it, but she can’t. What she can do with some help is to hold on tight and roll with it. She finds this fun especially when she rolls toward the floor, tucks her head, and rolls off the ball.
Stability balls or fitness balls are great to improve balance and stability. As adults we use this piece of equipment to help develop core strength, but if the mood arises, go ahead stretch out your arms, grab hold and roll on it. After all why should toddlers have all the fun.
Summer is here and so is the heat. Exercising indoors is a must when the heat index is too high to safely exercise outside. Get some new Pilates DVDs or try a new one like the BOSU or foam balls or roller DVDs. Free weights and kettle balls are a must when going for strength and tone as are exercise bands and stability balls. Jump rope, jump on a trampoline or jump up and wobble on a balance board. Whatever it is, make it fun, different and easy to do indoors.
If you have sustained an injury, you might look into a rehab exercise program that incorporates Pilates as physical therapists are now using to help clients recover more quickly from their ailments. Pilates helps strengthen the weaker injured muscles and joints because the exercises are gentle. Pilates rehabilitation is preventive medicine.
The Balance Wedge can be used for functional training and improves stamina. The cast iron dumbbells helps build stronger muscles with a weighted resistive workout. Another great resistive training tool is the Xerdisc Plus Tubing System, a versatile rehab product that can be used at home.
Stay healthy and strong today. Keep your body in balance and it will go a long way to prevent future injuries.
It must be Spring because once again the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports is trying to get Americans, especially adults to get back into shape. I wish a Presidential Council didn’t have to remind us what should be part of a daily routine, but I guess baby boomers asked for it and got one: a test. But if you’re the type that doesn’t need a test, but rather dive into an exercise program because it’s the right thing to do, then here are six helpful tools to get you started.
Teens sure do love watching TV about as much if not more than talking on their cell phones, but are they ready to do the same when it comes to an exercise routine? Maybe what they really need is the latest and greatest tech toy or the newest fashion accessory to start their teen workouts.
The user-friendly Ball with Legs may not sound like high tech, but it may give them a fresh appreciation from the normal sit-up. Great for beginners of balance fitness, exercising on the stability ball helps encourages blood circulation even while they’re doing it in front of the TV.
Then there is Yoga in front of the TV. Why not? That’s something that will make their bodies feel better. Try doing it during TV commercials. Lie on a rug or on a comfortable mat and start stretching. If it’s enjoyable maybe the next step would be to take a mat class, and what better way to get your mat there but with the stylish Mountain Meadow Backpack. The look is so hip friends may want to join in too.
If you’re looking for an alternative workout to your ab exercises try getting off the carpet and get on a the half circle Bosu. This workout tool helps you target the core and back muscles giving support to your body weight comfortably and safely. Not sure what to do? Two very good instructional DVDS will get you started. The Essential Bosu covers 39 exercises and the Intermediate Bosu DVD covers 47 exercises. So grab your favorite mat and start working on those abdominal exercises.
With the start of the baseball season many wanna be major leaguers take to the batting cages in search of their youth when there was a time hitting one out was a rite of Spring. As they do some find their ability to hit a baseball is not as easy as it once was back in the day. Most don’t think training to improve muscle strength is needed, but they can use a little strength training and the Power Bat helps them train much the same way professionals do.
And don’t forget to stretch. Full Round Foam Rollers and Half Round Rollers relieve myofacial tension and helps in restoring a non athlete’s range of motion. Both are great alignment tools as well. To make sure you are more comfortable with these workout tools the Pilates On A Roll DVD is a good place to start. So, the next time you take your Little Leaguer to the batting cages and show him how daddy used to knock the baseballs out of the park be prepared and your kid may actually believe you once played the game.
