What is functional Exercise?

M Power Physical Therapy and Wellness is a cash based physical therapy clinic which offers strength and conditioning and wellness services.

Functional Exercise has taken a broad spectrum of definitions and appearances over the years and decades.  Initially it was introduced to me as the ability to at least squat and hinge well.  Afterwards it turned into a bit of a meme where people were standing on Bosu balls or swiss balls while doing other complicated movements because it was under the field of functional and was meant to replicate ‘real life’ scenarios.

I have been training and treating enough to come up with my own answer.

Functional exercise is what helps you keep doing the things you both love and need to do.

It may be a cop out answer from some perspectives but let us explore this notion.

Walking is a functional exercise.  If I want to explore a city, go hiking, or spend time with family I need to be able to stay on my feet for an extended period.  Walking on a variety of terrains, with variable speed, and variable durations will help me achieve all that.

Let’s break down a more complicated situation.  Getting up from the floor and/or recovering from a fall.  Let’s say I am playing volley ball on the sand and I have made an incredible diving save and my team won the point.  I ultimately landed on my belly and now need to get up.  So what do I need to do?  I PUSH UP (a functional exercise) to get on my hands and knees.  From there I need to be able to WEIGHT SHIFT (a functional exercise) to get into a HALF KNEEL position (a functional exercise). From there I do a SPLIT SQUAT (a functional exercise) to stand up.

Let’s say instead that my teammates come over to help me up.  I ROLL OVER ( a functional exercise) from my belly to my back.  I do a SIT UP (a functional exercise) in order to extend my hands out to my team mates.  While my teammates pull me up I ROW (a functional exercise) using my team mates for leverage to come up into a version of a SQUAT (a functional exercise) in order to get to standing.

Do you think you can do all of the motions that I capitalized? Can you do it on both sides with equal comfort, confidence, and stability?

I have been biased towards functional fitness being more so tied in with our developmental patterns.

What are the developmental patterns you say? Basically how we go from infants who cannot even hold their heads up to becoming walking, running, and jumping children.

One of the ways I learned about out motor patterns was through the Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS).  The AIMS, depending on which version you look at, gives you pictures of sample movements that children should be able to perform on an age based scale.

Consider this.  Can you lay on your stomach and lift your head up and turn your head.  Does this cause you any pain or discomfort? Can you breathe in a relaxed way? Good now try and turn from your stomach to your back only using your legs to lead you.  Try it to both sides.  Try it again with only your upper half leading, again to both sides.  If you cannot do these actions maybe you should reconsider what you define as functional training.

So while we have some conjecture going as to what is considered functional, I can talk about some of my favorite functional exercises.  While considering these within our modern lifestyles. Mind you these recommendations are for the general population who are looking to keep exercising for general health and wellness but no other particular goal in mind.

Squatting patterns.  Why patterns instead of just squats, because we do a lot of squatting.  Getting on/off of a chair, car, toilet.  That’s a squat.  Kneeling down to tie your shoe and standing back up that’s a split squat or lunge.  Walking up stairs? Front foot elevated lunges. Carrying something up the stairs backwards? Maybe we call that a single leg sissy squat.

Hinging patterns.  Lifting up the laundry basket.  Standing on one leg to pick up a sock on the floor.  Bending over to reach into the trunk.  Picking up a suitcase.

Rowing patterns.  If I had to pick my number one reason why rowing patterns are on my list it is because of the ability of a row to maintain our arm/body stable with a weight out in front of us.  The easiest example I can think of on a day to day point would be getting something from the trunk or floor of your car.  I put something into my trunk and have to hinge to lift it, place it, and push it to the back.  As I drive that items gifts further into the trunk.  I arrive and have to hinge to reach into the trunk and then I row that item closer to me so I can lift it with greater ease.

A similar logic applies to pull up patterns.  If my arms and trunk can be stable and mobile enough nd pull my body weight, other over head activities become that much easier.  If my arms have the mobility to go up over head while supporting my body weight placing an item into an overhead carry on compartment will be that much easier.

Overhead pressing patterns.  A general test of your body’s ability to stay mobile and stable while putting up weight over head.  In our day to day lives this may be the one we use the least frequently as we tend to bring everything to our face height.  We rarely practice our capacity to complete over head movements.  If we have to change a light bulb that is truly over head I would more likely get a step ladder.

A frequent functional exercise/activity/pattern that I have not discussed yet is carrying.  Carrying is likely the thing we all do everyday.  Do I necessarily feel like the general population needs to incorporate a specific carrying activity, no I do not.  If the general population is going to the gym and working on a rowing movement, a pull up movement, and a hinging movement they are inevitably working on their grip or carrying capacity. If they are squatting or lunging and picking up weights they are working on grip/carrying capacity.

All of these statements do change if a person has a specific goal in mind.  At the time of my writing this I am pleased with my overall barbell row, barbell military press, and barbell back squat.  I am currently working on my barbell bench press, strapped and unstrapped deadlift, as well as my latt pull down and pull ups.  I do focus more on my carry work accessories outside of the gym because my grip is a factor in my deadlift performance.  I incorporate additional hinging accessories to continue practicing the pattern.  My pull up patterns help to keep my hinging patterns more stable.  Therefore seeing more of one pattern than another for me is my ‘functional exercise’ because it is also goal oriented to what I want to do in my own life.

I admittedly struggle with what is exactly a minimum that every person should strive for in terms of what is functional, otherwise known as strength standards. However, general exercise plans should be individualized to the person’s desires (goals) and current skill level.  While I do think everyone should be able to do one classic push up, if someone can get up from the floor in a safe way without other external assistance I am still happy they can do that much.  I do think everyone should be able to complete one hands free sit to stand, particularly from a soft/squishy couch, and maybe even while holding a cup of coffee or tea.  I do think everyone should be able to perform a lunging pattern again to safely rise from the floor.  Everyone should be able to roll over form back to belly and belly to back without much difficulty.

But I have an X injury or Y condition that prevents me from doing any of those activities.  Consider this. A fall will happen one day, will you have the confidence and capacity to be able to recover independently.  

Individualizing an exercise plan that meets your current capabilities is key.  However, progressing you past your current capabilities is also part of the plan.  A wall push up becomes a counter top push up.  This becomes a table push up. To a chair push up. To a stair push up. To a floor push up.  Working with a coach or therapist can help you bridge these gaps to make the task less daunting.

If you are seeking an individualized exercise program that emphasizes your function for life, please reach out via our contact page.  We look forward to hearing from you.