Demystifying (Corporate) Functional Fitness

“Functional Fitness” is a term often used by trainers, coaches, and gyms and seems to have come increasingly into vogue. But what is Functional Fitness? Does it have any relevance for Corporate Wellness Planning?

Demystifying Functional Fitness

Interpreted correctly, Functional Fitness comprises training/exercises and simulating common movements to train multiple muscle groups of the body to work collectively in performing daily tasks and activities. Almost all our daily activities at home and at work engage more than one muscle type – even seemingly routine actions such as carrying groceries or equipment, lifting, pushing, pulling things around, bending (e.g. over machinery), squatting, climbing flights of stairs, playing active games with kids like football, etc. Functional Fitness also includes training for the specific movement demands of sports.

Why Is It Important?

• Functional Training equips the body to handle multi-dimensional real-life activities and challenges versus only training muscles in isolation using equipment in limited postures or range of motion.
• Compared to conventional weight or strength training that works by isolating muscles, Functional Fitness Training works more on the principle of ‘integration’, making it more holistic and practical. This doesn’t mean that isolation training is without merit. It often forms part of the larger approach of Functional Training but is not the entire aspect or focus.

“My fitness approach and philosophy are based on day-to-day functionalities. These functions are bending, lifting, lunging, pulling, pushing and squatting.” – Rahul Dev

• The premise and power of such training are to have various muscle groups and joints deliver together and respond better to dynamic demands placed on the body.
• Not only does this help in superior performance outputs, but also greatly minimizes the body’s stresses, strains, and injury propensity.

Hence, it makes innate sense to include this kind of training.

As my motto goes, Functional Fitness is “Fitness for Life”, not just events. It is what builds our fitness and wellness holistically, simply, dynamically, and allows us to operate well within our evolving reality.

Is It Relevant For Corporate Wellness Plans?

Given its importance, role, and outcome potential in daily human performance and movement – Yes! Functional Fitness Training is not just for athletes, sportspeople, or gym/workout aficionados. It has as much of importance for people working at home or in offices. In fact, I further say that Functional Fitness needs to be a core component of a Corporate Wellness Plan, and can impact the Corporate’s WMQ (Wellness Mindset Quotient) positively. Incidentally, the concept of Functional Fitness also ties in with my last article, Movement As Medicine For Special Health Conditions.

Designing a power-packed Corporate Wellness Plan, inclusive of employees’ Functional Fitness requires a deeper understanding of diverse work roles and their functional and/or operational demands. It would be valuable for a Corporate to evaluate the strength and effectiveness of their present (or future) wellness initiatives on basis of how well, and to what extent, functional wellness parameters are built into the programming – something I will be covering in a future article!

About Vani Pahwa

Vani B. Pahwa is Health & Wellness Evangelist, and Founder, Body In Motion, who specializes in Functional-Fitness, and Cancer Exercise & Rehabilitation. With almost 2 decades of experience, and certifications from leading internationally-accredited and globally-recognized fitness institutions, Vani is the leading Wellness Expert for Multinational Corporations and is a recognized Speaker and Coach. An Indian Classical Dancer, Vani encompasses her learnings from dance to everyday movement making “exercise and training for life, not just events.” To know more about Vani and her premium wellness services, visit https://www.bodyinmotion.in