Functional Training/Movement

-Functional movement is the foundation to a healthy and active life. Inefficient movement can lead to pain, discomfort and lack of desire to exercise. Functional training teaches the body to utilize different movement patterns with a purpose. The goal is to move the body correctly and efficiently in order to increase strength, flexibility, stability, mobility, balance and decrease risk of injury over the span of a lifetime. We utilize functional movements in our everyday lives !

-Functional training may look like core strengthening exercises, stability/mobility exercises, and compound movements that are utilized in everyday life. For example, learning how to squat, bend your knees and hinge from the hips properly may reduce the risk of someone hurting their low back while picking up a heavy box or shoveling snow!

-In physical education, it is important to introduce functional movements early on and continue to progress them slowly. Incorporating functional movements at an early age can teach students how to move their bodies properly and train them for everyday activities such as; pushing a door open, pulling a door open, picking up a heavy item, sitting/standing, or preparing them for a competitive sport. Along with providing students with important functional movements that can last a lifetime, they will learn about the different muscle groups in the body that are working together and helping them perform at an optimal level !

-Form is everything ! Practicing functional movements comes with learning proper form and body alignment ! Learning proper form allows the body to function optimally and reduces the risk of injuring the joints and muscles.

Compound Movements

-Compound movements require more than one muscle group to work at a time. These movements are usually multijoint and incorporate different planes of movement. They force the muscles to work together as a unit. For example, the squat, deadlift, lunge, pushup and twisting exercises. These exercises mimic everyday movement pattens like pulling, pushing, squatting, hinging, and rotating. This type of training is more efficient than isolation exercises such as bicep curls, considering you are not just standing in one place all day and only using your biceps to lift something heavy! You'll naturally need to recruit more muscles to get the job done. Isolation exercises have their time and place. Functional movements will allow the muscles to work together since they don't naturally operate alone.

-Teaching students compound movements in physical education will help them develop strength and better overall body mechanics. Training functionally with compound movements will allow the students to utilize their bodies as a system. Moving their body in a way that recruits multiple muscle groups at once also requires a certain level of coordination, focus, and core strength. Compound movements can increase overall core strength and stability!

-Learning at an early age how to move our body, why we should move our body, and the science behind moving our body, will help to increase the students' knowledge and boost their intrinsic value of exercise. The more experience a student has with functional and compound movements, they will have more confidence in moving their bodies and continue for a lifetime!