Form versus Function

A beautifully sculpted physique is enviable by fitness standards, and can be had with diligent weight training, fat-burning cardio and careful nutritional planning. But when it comes to human body mechanics, function does not always follow form. An integrated program that focuses on flexibility, balance and agility along with strength and endurance can give you a better-rounded fitness regimen geared to activities of daily living, according to a study conducted at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. After just four weeks of functional training, the subjects, who were all active older adults, saw significant improvements in strength, endurance, shoulder mobility, agility and dynamic balance.

Accentuate Alignment

Before you can achieve optimal fitness, you must address your skeletal alignment, according to biomechanics expert Katy Santiago, MS, director of the Restorative Exercise Institute. Santiago cites poor alignment as a contributing factor to poor circulation, inadequate blood flow, reduced lung inflation and low bone density. She notes that cardiovascular and organ health depend on good skeletal mechanics. Pilates is an exercise regimen geared to correcting poor skeletal alignment and restoring optimal body mechanics. For an active fitness lifestyle, include Pilates in your workout routine one to three times per week.

Strengthen and Stabilize

Unlike conventional resistance training that emphasizes isolated exercises for specific muscles, functional strength training incorporates integrated movements involving multiple joints and muscles, performed in ways that require balance and agility. For example, think of lifting an object from the floor and placing it on a shelf. To enhance the movement sequence, stand with your feet shoulder-width, holding a dumbbell in one hand; perform a squat, touching the dumbbell to your opposite toe; rise from the squat and lift the dumbbell to the ceiling, following it with your gaze. Repeat five to 10 times on each side.

Stretch and Balance

Balance and flexibility are integral to quality functional movement for an active fitness lifestyle. To improve balance and flexibility, along with improved performance, strength, and mental focus and endurance, Sage Rountree, PhD of USA Triathlon recommends yoga as an ideal supplement to off-season training for triathletes. Even if you are not a triathlete, you can enjoy the same benefits of yoga as part of your functional fitness program. Incorporate yoga one to three times per week.