Functional training is often a big part of many fitness classes, and you might have done it without even realising when performing movements like squats, push ups, or kettlebell swings. As well as helping achieve goals, functional training can also make daily tasks easier, helping to build strength and stability in a way that supports how the body moves in your normal routine. Here at Urban Fitness, we are a gym based in Sandycove, South Dublin, and provide fitness classes that incorporate functional movements. In this post, we discuss functional training and types of functional movements you might encounter in a fitness class, and how it helps in people’s daily routine.
What is Functional Training?
Functional training involves exercises that focus on movements similar to those we do in our daily routines, such as bending, pushing, pulling, twisting, reaching, and walking. Unlike other types of training that isolate single muscles, functional movements target multiple muscle groups at once, helping to improve coordination, strength, stability, and flexibility.
The goal of functional training is to help the body perform daily tasks more efficiently, while also improving your overall fitness. It can support everyday activities like carrying heavy bags, getting in and out of a chair or car, climbing stairs or walking uphill, and lifting things off the floor – making them easier and safer to do.
Different Types of Functional Training Movements in Fitness Classes
Functional training movements are used regularly in fitness classes, helping you get better at the kinds of everyday movements while also improving overall fitness. There’s a range of functional training exercises you might come across in a fitness class, and below we explore some of the most common ones and discuss how they can benefit you:
Squats – Squats are a common functional exercise in a fitness class, where you lower your hips from a standing position and then return upright. This helps strengthen legs, glutes, and core. Squats also improve mobility in hips and knees, supporting smoother movement and better posture in everyday routine.
Push ups and pull ups – Push ups and pull ups are often used in fitness classes, whether performed using bodyweight or with assistance bands. They help build upper body strength in the chest, shoulders, upper back, and arms. These exercises support daily pushing and pulling movements while also engaging your core and improving full body control and coordination.
Kettlebell Swings – Kettlebell swings are an explosive, full body movement where you swing a kettlebell between your legs and up to chest height using a hip hinge motion. They strengthen glutes, hamstrings, and core, while also boosting cardiovascular endurance. This movement improves hip power, posture, and functional strength, making it both practical and powerful.
Planks – Planks are a challenging yet effective movement where you hold your body in a straight line, supported by your forearms and toes. This movement targets core, shoulders, and back, helping to improve muscular endurance. Planks also support spinal stability, aiding with balance, alignment, and posture both in the gym and daily life.
Medicine ball slams or throws – Medicine ball slams or throws are explosive exercises that involve lifting a weighted ball overhead and powerfully slamming or throwing it. This dynamic movement engages the entire body, particularly the core, shoulders, and arms. It helps improve power, strength, and coordination, especially useful when lifting, throwing, or reacting quickly.
How Functional Training in Fitness Classes Helps you in Daily Life
Alongside being a key part of helping reach fitness goals, functional training in fitness classes can also benefit you in everyday life. Here are just some of ways taking part in functional training helps you on a daily basis:
Builds Full Body Stability and Strength – Functional training helps build stability and strength throughout the entire body, including your core, legs, and arms. Many functional exercises engage multiple muscle groups at once, and strengthening these areas helps improve posture, balance, and overall body control. This makes everyday movements easier and safer and can also help reduce risk of back pain, tightness, and muscular strains.
Improves Joint Mobility and Flexibility – Many functional exercises involve dynamic movements that utilise the entire body and take joints through their natural range of motion, such as squats, twists, and lunges. These movements help improve flexibility and mobility throughout the body, particularly in areas like hips, knees, ankles, and shoulders. This can loosen stiff joints, enhance muscle elasticity, and promote better movement patterns to reduce discomfort and stiffness.
Supports Better Posture and Alignment – A lot of functional training focuses on correcting muscle imbalances and encouraging proper form. Over time, this can improve posture and body alignment, which is especially important if you spend much of the day sitting. As many functional movements help stabilise the spine, shoulders, and core, they support better posture, help you move more efficiently, and reduce tension or discomfort caused by poor alignment.
Interested in Trying Fitness Classes?
If you want to try out functional training at fitness classes, please join us at Urban Fitness. Our fitness classes incorporate a wide range of functional movements to support daily life while also helping reach fitness goals, be that to lose weight, build muscle or increase stamina. We have a varied timetable of classes to suit fitness levels and schedules, and all of our classes are taught by our highly experienced team of coaches who are here to help you through every step of your fitness journey. Alongside our fitness classes, we also offer small group personal training and one to one personal training, if you want to try something different. Contact our team to learn more about our fitness classes, or get started today.
