The functional training is fashionable! It is a new fitness discipline that is based on respecting the body’s natural movements to tone and improve our physical strength. Therefore, the risk of injury is reduced and a more defined and balanced silhouette is achieved.
In this article we want to discover the best functional exercises to do at home that will help you put this new sports method into practice in an easy and, above all, very effective way. We started!
The best functional training routine at home for beginners
But, before discovering the best functional exercises to do at home, it is important that we understand what this type of training is so that you can easily carry them out at home.
The functional training is a type of sport which aims to tone the body but imitating the movements we do naturally. With this, it is possible to work the body without forcing it at all and the movement of our body is respected without pressing it to machines or weights that can end up overloading the muscles. If you want to train at home with functional exercises, you should take into account the following tips:
- The body is never forced: the movements mimic many of the movements we do every day.
- Many muscles are worked: the goal is not to focus on just one muscle group but to work several to, thus, strengthen the body in a healthier and more fruitful way.
- Works motor skills: not only focuses on strengthening the body but also improves balance, coordination, flexibility, endurance, etc.
Below, you will find a selection of the best functional exercises to do at home whenever you want:
Squats, one of the best functional exercises
Now that you know what functional training consists of, let’s see what the best exercises are for beginners in this discipline. One of the best functional exercises to do at home is squats since it is a movement of the body that we do daily and that, in addition, is very beneficial to define buttocks, legs and abdomen. To do this exercise, you just have to follow these steps:
- Stand on the floor with your legs slightly apart
- Now, go down little by little, trying to lower your butt, which should be parallel to the ground. Keep your back at a 90 degree angle
- Go as low as you can and, once you’re there, try to hold out for 10 seconds.
- Go up slowly and when you are up you can go back down
Lunges, another perfect exercise to do at home
Another of the best options to start functional training at home and that also works the muscles of the legs, buttocks and abdomen are the strides. To carry it out, you must follow these steps:
- You should stand with your legs slightly apart and your hands resting on your waist.
- Now, with your left leg, take a big step forward, keeping your back straight at all times and looking straight ahead.
- You should maintain your balance in this position, if it is difficult for you, you can extend your arms to achieve greater balance
- Go back and repeat the exercise, but now with the other leg
Plank, another perfect exercise for functional training
The plank is another of the best options to tone your body in a healthy way and without straining the muscles. It is a revolution in the field of fitness and bodybuilding since, with a static exercise, you will be able to strengthen muscles of the abdomen, legs, arms, pectorals and buttocks.
To start doing crunches from scratch and carry out this functional exercise for beginners, you should follow these steps:
- Lie face down on a mat, with your legs slightly apart and your hands resting at shoulder height
- Slowly raise your body making sure it is completely parallel to the ground, as if it were an “iron” (hence the name)
- Hold this pose for at least 10 seconds, then slowly lower yourself to the ground.
- When you can, go back up and make sure that, day by day, you can stay statically longer with this posture.