Issue link: http://www.wacmagazine.com/i/561254
22 | Washington Athletic Club Magazine | SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2015 H ave you ever asked yourself, "Why do I workout?" Some of us train for something specific such as a race or a sport. Others exercise to relieve stress and improve the way they feel. Some even exercise just because they know they are "supposed to." Whatever the reason, I say great! But I also think we should be asking ourselves another question: Is our method of exercise matching the goals we have in mind? If not, it's time for a change. If you're training for a specific sport or a future event such as a race, there are sport-specific exercises and training you should be doing to achieve your best performance. If, on the other hand, you're trying to improve your strength and lift as much as you possibly can, then traditional weight lifting that focuses on one muscle group at a time works great. If what you really want is to increase general strength and mobility, as well as to improve balance and prevent injury, functional movement is your answer. Think of functional movement as training for life. Functional movement exercises are based on everyday movements such as pushing, pulling, squatting and twisting. Rather than isolating specific muscle groups, functional exercises use as many variables as possible. They engage multiple joints and multiple planes of motion and bring balance to your body's overall strength and coordination. Our bodies bend in a multitude of ways every day. Pick something up. Put something away. Sit down. Stand up. Go to bed. Get up. Walk to work. The list is essentially endless. All of these motions require strength in our glutes, quads and hamstrings as well as core stability and mobility in our ankles, hips and upper backs. Much of the rotating our bodies do should be coming from our upper back or thoracic spine. For many of us, however, it doesn't. This eventually leads to mobility issues, pain, and injury. With functional exercise, you gain the core stability and strength needed to support your spine while increasing your mobility. Take a common activity such as carrying groceries, children or luggage. By doing kettlebell carries or lateral wood chops you can increase core strength, improve your posture, and help prevent common injuries. Functional movement exercises train our bodies to work as one unit, increasing our strength, coordination, balance and mobility. It's awesome to win a race or be the strongest person in the room. But it's even better to be moving pain-free and feeling great when you're 100 years old. It's never too early to start. Getting Fit By Sara Moser, WAC Personal Trainer Movement for life How training for mobility can improve every day WAC Personal Trainer Sara Moser demonstrates the Squat with Shoulder Push using a weighted ball. The Bird Dog with Single Arm Pull. L U K E R U TA N ( 6 ) " Functional exercises engage multiple joints and multiple planes of motion and bring balance to your body's overall strength and coordination."