BALLANCED, FUNCTIONAL FITNESS

As a fitness professional the hottest trend in our industry is currently "functional fitness." Functional fitness simply put is performing fitness activities that relate to the sport or daily activities that an individual does outside of their workouts. Although it is currently the rage among fitness professionals it is not a new concept. Folks from athletes to farmers have trained this way forever. An athlete who wants to climb a mountain trains by performing strength and cardiovascular exercises that closely relate to their sport. Climbers might use a stair climber in the gym while wearing a pack filled with the same amount of gear as they will be using on a particular climb. They will perform strength training exercises for their forearms, and shoulders. The same muscles to be used during their climb. And farmers "work themselves into shape." They plow and bail, and walk according to the needs and schedule of the farm.

So how do you approach balanced fitness? As someone who is looking to get into shape, consider your goals. Are you a skier? Do you want to complete a 10k running race? Ride in a 100 mile bicycle event for charity? Coach soccer for your daughter?

Balanced fitness starts with an examination of your goals for a particular activity or series of activities, then training for those activities. Here’s an example. Let’s say you are preparing to go on a hiking trip with your family. You’ll want to make sure that you perform strength training exercises for all of the major muscle groups in your legs and shoulders. Include: squats, lunges, and calf raisers for the legs. For upper body include shoulder flys, military presses and bicep and tricep exercises. With flexibility, back and core muscles are important. Include lower back, hamstring, and shoulder stretches. Your cardiovascular training should include things like walking on a treadmill at an incline, and stair climbing. In short, variety.

If this sounds complicated, it isn’t. The exercises and activities are usually pretty intuitive. The cornerstones for balanced fitness for any activity, or sport include Strength, Flexibility, and Cardiovascular activities performed on a weekly basis. These should be scheduled on a weekly basis as follows:

Strength training: A minimum of 1-2 sets using the target muscle groups at least 2 times a week. If you are unsure of which muscles to work on, concentrate on the major muscle groups which include chest, back, arms, shoulders, stomach and legs.

Flexibility training: A minimum of 3 days per week for a minimum of 15 minutes. Concentrate on stretching the major muscles of your body. Hold each stretch for at least 30-60 seconds. Remember to breath throughout each movement. Never, ever hold your breath.

Cardiovascular training: A minimum of 3-5 days per week. Try to simulate the amount of time, and mirror the stressors that your sport or activity will provide. For instance if you are going to be downhill skiing, you’ll want to walk or run in an "interval" fashion. Start with a warm up on your aerobic equipment of choice, then alternate periods of more intense activity by adding incline, resistance or speed on a treadmill or elliptical trainer.

Try to accomplish a minimum of 30 minutes each time that you exercise. Time management is always a challenge. It can seem daunting to go to the gym for 3 to 5 hours per week. Keep in mind your goals.

The most important thing is getting the exercise done. Often this might mean performing your flexibility exercises while winding down at night or watching your favorite program. Strength training can be accomplished by using resistance bands while at work, in a hotel room, even in your living room.

Finally, schedule your exercise sessions in the same way that you schedule your business and other personal appointments. Plan ahead, put them in your schedule, and protect them whenever possible.