Functional training: How it improves strength, balance, and mobility

From the moment you get up in the morning until your head hits the pillow at night, your body is in motion. It is walking, bending, stretching, twisting, lifting and performing every other movement you can think of.

All of these require functional fitness. Functional fitness refers to your ability to perform daily tasks without feeling tired or sore [2].

While some of us find moving throughout the day easy, others could use a bit of loosening up. That's where functional training comes in.

Functional exercises are designed to mimic your natural movement patterns and help improve your functional fitness.

It might sound complicated, but we promise it's not. Allow us to break it down for you – from the key benefits of functional training to the best functional exercises to add to your routine.

What is functional training? 

At its most basic, functional training is an exercise routine that can help you move better in everyday life [1][3].

Different functional movements can help build different types of fitness, such as your aerobic capacity, strength or endurance.

Many of the best functional exercises are also basic moves, such as squats, lunges or push-ups [8]. So, even if you’ve never heard of functional training before, there’s a good chance you’ve already tried it.

What are the 7 movements of functional training?

According to health and fitness experts, the 7 functional movements are [5]:

• Push: pressing objects away from you
• Pull: bringing objects toward you
• Squat: sitting or bending down
• Lunge: stepping forward or backward on one leg and bending the knee
• Hinge: bending down from the hips
• Rotate: twisting your spine
• Gait or balance: movements that involve walking

A lot of simple tasks actually use most of these moves. For example, here is how your body is activated while doing a load of laundry:

• Picking up a laundry basket requires you to pull, hinge and squat
• Carrying the basket to the washing machine engages your gait/balance
• Setting the basket down requires you to push, hinge and squat
• Loading the washing machine requires rotation

This is a good example of how everyday living asks a lot of your body. The good news is, you’re more than capable of achieving all this and more.

Why is functional training important? 

Functional training is important because it helps you build up your functional fitness. Many tasks we perform in day-to-day life require functional fitness, such as [2]:

• Carrying groceries
• Climbing stairs
• Bending and kneeling
• Moving furniture
• Vacuuming
• Leisure activities like bowling or golf

Functional exercises can focus on many different types of fitness, such as strength, flexibility, aerobic fitness or balance.

A great example is walking. Walking for even a short distance requires strength, flexibility, balance and good posture. Walking for a long distance adds endurance and zone 2 cardio to the mix [3].

What are the benefits of functional training?

We know that people exercise for all different reasons – whether they’re looking to lose weight, improve their fitness or even feel happier. To help you understand if a functional workout is right for you, here are our top 5 benefits of functional training.

1. It’s easier to perform everyday activities 

If getting through a normal day feels like a chore, you might benefit from improving your functional fitness. 

A person with high functional fitness is more efficient. This means they are able to perform basic tasks without expending much energy. They also have a lower risk of injury [3].

This is probably the main reason people try out functional training. It helps put that spring in their step and gives them the strength and energy to conquer every day.

2. Improve your mobility and performance

While daily life is a main focus of functional exercise, there are also benefits for athletic performance. Things like balance, mobility, power and coordination can all be improved through a functional workout routine [3].

Mobility is a big one – allowing you to perform both basic tasks and sports more smoothly. It’s the difference between sprinting for a bus and catching it, or hobbling to the stop and wondering why your body won’t move how you need it to.

Since functional exercises focus on mimicking your body’s natural movement patterns, they are a good way to loosen up your joints and get better mobility [7]. 

3. Better mental and physical health

We know that the fitness industry is full of trends, which is why we prefer to focus on evidence. One study of older adults found that functional training could help with both physical and mental health [9].

Participants trained 3 times per week for 1 hour each session. They kept up the program for 16 weeks, with benefits seen after the first 8 weeks of consistent exercise. 

On the physical side, researchers found that a functional training routine was helpful for building strength, improving balance, range of motion and flexibility.

As for mental health, participants said they felt happier and far less stressed since starting the exercise program.

So, whether you’re looking to build muscle after 50 or reduce stress, functional training could help reach those goals.

4. Enjoying exercise more 

One of the best ways to kickstart an exercise habit is to find an activity you enjoy. From cycling to swimming, running, yoga and Pilates – there are certainly enough to choose from. 

If you’re still seeking just the right fit, you might like to try functional training. One study looked at high-intensity functional training (HIFT) in comparison with traditional exercise [4].

Researchers found that people in HIFT programs spent less time working out and enjoyed their session more than people in a traditional aerobic and weights routine.

5. Weight loss

Research shows that HIFT is also effective for weight loss – with participants losing up to 8% body fat after 16 weeks [4].

While exercise is an important part of any weight loss journey, it’s far from the only option available to you. 

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This means you can continue to enjoy the things you love in moderation without ever feeling deprived.

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Is functional training the same as HIIT? 

The short answer is no; functional training and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) are not the same. 

There are a few key differences between functional training and HIIT, such as [4]: 

• Purpose: A HIIT workout is designed to improve your endurance, while functional training is designed for strength, flexibility and endurance
• Style of exercise: While HIIT mostly focuses on aerobic exercise, functional training is about engaging the whole body through multi-joint movements
• Rest breaks: HIIT programs combine short bursts of activity with brief periods of rest, while HIFT is adaptable to the individual and can include longer rest breaks

There is a style known as high-intensity functional training (HIFT), which we mentioned earlier, but even this is slightly different to HIIT.

A key benefit of functional training, or HIFT, over HIIT is its adaptability. Many HIFT workouts are similar to circuit training, where people focus on completing the maximum reps in a set amount of time.

This helps you perform to the best of your ability, rather than push beyond your limits in trying to keep up with a restrictive training program.

Functional training vs strength training 

While we’re comparing training styles, it’s worth looking at how functional training and strength training are different.

To put it simply, strength training is about isolation, while functional training works multiple muscle groups [7].

A strength workout will focus on isolating and training certain muscle groups – such as the arms, legs, glutes or core.

A functional workout will focus on multi-joint movements that can build strength, alongside other elements of fitness. 

How to incorporate functional training into your workouts 

Earlier, we highlighted the 7 key movements of functional training. These are a great place to start for a functional workout routine.

There are many different exercises you can use to train in each movement, for example [5]:

• Push-ups, chest press or shoulder press are all good for the push movement
• Pull-ups and seated rows can train the pull movement
• Basic squats, wall sits, or hip bridges are great examples of the squat movement
• Basic lunges, walking lunges or weighted lunges can all improve your lunge movement
• Deadlifts and kettlebell swings are helpful for the hinge movement
• Boxing is an ideal exercise to practice your rotate movement
• A farmer’s carry is beneficial for training your gait and balance

We always recommend consulting a personal trainer or fitness expert for support when you begin a new exercise routine. They can help you design a program suited to your body, lifestyle, fitness level and goals.

Best functional fitness exercises 

If you’re just itching to bring functional training into your next workout, then these 6 beginner-friendly moves are for you [6][8]. 

The best part? Most of these are bodyweight exercises that require hardly any gym equipment.

Farmer’s walk

• Start in a standing position with your head and shoulders pulled back
• Hold a dumbbell or kettlebell in each hand
• Keep your arms fully extended at your sides
• Walk about 6m, then turn and walk back
• Repeat 3-5 times 

Basic squat

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and toes pointing forward
• Pull your shoulders back and engage your core muscles
• Bending at the hips and knees, sit back into a squat position
• Press into your heels and straighten your legs to return to standing

Reverse lunge 

• Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart
• Step one foot back and bend both knees to lower into a lunge
• Straighten your legs to standing
• Return your foot to the centre
• Swap legs and repeat

Push-up

• Start on all fours with a mat beneath you
• Place your palms on the mat, a little wider than your shoulders
• Reach your legs out behind you; either straight into a plank position or crossed legs
• Bend at the elbows to lower your body toward the mat
• Press into your palms to straighten your arms and bring your body back to the starting position

Hip bridge 

• Start on your back with a mat beneath you
• Bend your knees and keep your feet flat on the floor
• Squeeze your glutes and lift your lower body toward the ceiling
• Lower your body back to the ground

Bicep curl

• Hold a dumbbell in each hand with arms at your sides
• Keep your elbows close to your body
• Slowly curl both weights up toward your shoulders
• Lower the weights back down to the starting position

If you only have one dumbbell, you can also try this move on one side at a time and swap between your left and right arms.

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