This straightforward, practical modality seeks to tone your body and improve posture.

Functional training is a sports methodology that aims to strengthen the different muscles of the body through the basic movements a person performs in day-to-day life (such as walking, jumping or carrying weight), in order to correct posture and prevent possible injuries in the future.

Anybody, regardless of whether they work in an office, a shop or a warehouse, can train using this discipline. The goal is simple: to tone muscle groups in order to maintain a correct, efficient posture in daily life.

Functional training steers away from gym lifting equipment, which only works on mono-articular movements (one part of the body) that do not match daily movements. Instead, it uses TRX belts, balance boards, dumbbells, medicine balls (as wide as the shoulders, with weight from 1 kg), sandbags, bosu (large half-ball with hard plastic base) and exercises with one’s own body weight.

4 Straightforward, functional exercises

Here we propose four short functional training exercises you can carry out anywhere without the need for accessories.

1 – Planks

Take up a position facing downwards using the tips of your toes and forearms. Your back must be straight between your hips and legs, as if you were a table. Hold the position for as long as possible. This will initially be 10 seconds, which you should increase gradually. These isometric (static) exercises activate the abdomen’s internal muscles.

2 – Lunges or strides

Take a stride forward and lower your upper body until your rear knee touches the floor. Then return to your initial position and take another step with the other leg. Repeat the lunge between 10 and 20 times, switching sides.

3 – Burpees

This is a sequence of movements which must be performed quickly. From a standing position, squat down, place your hands on the floor and kick backwards. Then bring your feet forward to return to squat position, and stand up. Repeat between 15 and 25 times.

4- Squats

Separate your legs approximately at shoulder-height, then bring down your upper body until your thighs are level with your knees. Keeping your back straight (chest out, but not arching the spine), push your buttocks back as if you were to sit down on a chair. Repeat between 15 and 30 times.

The centre of our body (core) is where all our movements start and finish. Moreover, a strong, firm core will help us benefit from functional training, leading to improvements in balance, coordination and posture.

Functional training improves the state of our organism whilst reducing fat and increasing muscle mass.

This post is also available in: Italian