When it comes to fitness it often seems like the trends change faster than we can master them. It can be frustrating trying to figure out the best way to manage our schedules and meet out fitness goals. With all the different exercise buzzwords always flying around, it can be a challenge to figure out what should be next on our fitness agenda.
Over the past year my series have had a strong focus on functional training. Although it may seem like this type of training is just the latest and greatest in a long line of fitness styles, the truth is that this type of training is here to stay. Without even realizing it we have been performing functional training exercises for years, that have kept our bodies primed for the things that we need to do each day. The difference between what we have been doing all along and what we’re doing with our new functional focus, is the importance that we’re placing on overlooked details, like balance and stability, as well as the extra attention that we’re putting on WHY we are performing certain training techniques and what they will do for us as we age.
So, what do I mean by putting extra attention on the “why”? As an example, let’s talk about strength training versus power training. Strength and power are related, but they are not the same. Strength refers to our ability to exert force. Think carrying your groceries, pushing open a heavy door, or lifting a child. Power refers to our ability to exert that force quickly, like when we jump up out of a chair, catch ourselves as we start to fall, or must cross a street before the walk signal runs out. Strength is crucial in enabling us to perform everyday tasks while power is essential for balance and the ability to perform dynamic movements.
As we age the decline in our muscle power is even greater than the losses we face with our strength. At around the age of 50 we begin to lose fast twitch muscle fibers. This creates a greater need for training techniques that can generate gains in our power.
In our functional training workouts, when we choose to pick up slightly lighter weights and move at a faster pace, we are not always doing so to make the exercise “easier”. We are in fact, working on our ability to move the weight and our muscles at a quicker pace. We’re working on our power! That’s the “why.” While the exercise may feel easier than other heavy weight, slower paced exercises, it is still playing a very important role in our overall health and abilities.
In my new Lift, Move & Restore 2: ELEVATED! series, we will explore the techniques and benefits of both strength and power training. By including training techniques that work on our power we can help build faster reflexes which in turn will help us react quicker to dangerous situations and help to prevent falls and injuries. We will also continue to focus on the reasoning behind functional training and why it is so important at all phases of life, but most especially as we age.
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