Is Functional Training Good for Weight Loss?

What is the significance of functional training?

Functional training helps your body move more comfortably. Bodies that move more can burn calories faster without exercise. This training also makes your other training patterns more effective. People who are trying to lose weight engage in functional training to make their transformation faster. 

Sometimes, while performing some exercises on a regular basis, you are unable to lose weight. To find the right exercise routine that can help you lose weight efficiently can be quite challenging. Some indulge in heavy cardio sessions, but there are some easy ways to lose unwanted weight without having to endure heavy exercises for hours. 

Functional training was introduced into the fitness industry with the concept of having some light-weight exercises for people who want to lose weight but also do not want to go through conventional training.

So what exactly is functional training?

These fitness exercises focus more on your long-term fitness and well-being. Performing them regularly, also helps you lose weight. These are designed to improve your posture, balance, muscle strength and flexibility. Functional training improves the way your brain communicates with your muscles while they are being exercised. While you focus on the distance you have covered in cardio, you tend to focus more on the movements you are making in functional training. This also helps you stay balanced and in a good body shape for long. 

Functional training and weight loss

While you stress and strain your body in cardio and weightlifting, these exercises only make you feel more comfortable. According to some researches, bodies that are able to move more freely, can burn calories faster. These are more common exercises which bring about mobility in your joints and posture. 

If you have any weakness in a particular area of your body or face any issues with flexibility and balance, these training exercises can help you overcome them. Once these weak areas of your body are improved, you will face greater strength, stamina and mobility. Often a personal trainer can help you combat such problems as they are able to spot your weaknesses quickly and will teach you exercises to build strength in those areas. Once you are in total control of your body, you will find it easier to lose weight. 

Simple Functional Exercise Routines

You can incorporate simple functional exercise routines into your everyday life by doing just a few of them every morning before you start your day at home or even before your current fitness routine, just as warm-up exercises.

• The Plank:

  One of the most famous functional exercises, the plank is an exercise for intermediate levels, in which you strengthen you core and also improve your balance and posture.

Single-Leg Stand:

In this exercise, you focus on improving your balance, as you stand firmly on just one leg for as long as possible. You will find your core getting stronger and ease in weight loss on performing this regularly. 

Lying Shoulder Flexion:

You need to lie down on the floor and lift your arms from the side to up above your head. This posture will help you control your back and also your abdominal muscles, which in turn, help in weight loss. 

Benefits of Functional Training

Functional training is the new buzz in the fitness world. This form of workout exercises your muscles on the whole in a way in which you use your body on daily basis. It prepares you for different forms of everyday activity and helps to maintain body strength and endurance. 

Here are the main benefits of this training:

• Makes daily activities easier

Functional training improves the overall function of the body and boosts muscle strength and endurance. This overall body stability makes your muscles and joints more flexible. This in turn helps you with your daily movements. It is low impact, less stressful, helps with the joints and also makes it easier to lose weight.

Build better muscle memory

Functional training aids greater muscle memory. As you perform a particular movement regularly, the better and faster your body responds to the movements. By performing regular functional training exercises, you build muscles and your core strength and also effectively boost your brain’s memory. 

Increases flexibility and coordination

Functional training encourages you to start and end in a position where your muscles are stretched. It helps you increase the flexibility of your joints and offers resistance to your muscles. This means that your body learns better coordination in your bodily movements.

Improves balance and posture

The exercises help to enhance your strength and balance and eventually, your overall posture. In almost all the exercises, you need to make use of smaller muscle groups to support the larger ones, and this in turn helps to correct your posture. 

Eases joint pain

Those suffering from regular back, shoulder or joint pain can find relief from functional training exercises. These exercises help to bridge the gap between personal training and physical therapy. These help to restore your back and once your chronic back pain vanishes, you will find ease in movement. Similarly, arthritis and knee pain can also vanish with regular functional training exercises. 

Reduces risk of injury

Functional fitness training also reduces risk of injury. These exercises are particularly beneficial for sports people and athletes to make their joints and muscles more flexible. 

These exercises constantly force the body to adapt to different demands placed upon it and as a result, the body ends up losing weight. It is ideal for any sort of workout and should be clubbed even with heavy cardio or weightlifting so as to reduce fat faster.

To learn more about trending alternate forms of exercises, keep reading Indian Fitness Mantra.