10 Jul What is Functional Fitness and Performance Physical Therapy?

Over the last 20 years in Physical Therapy and Fitness a lot has changed.

Gone are the days of chest and triceps, back and biceps and leg days or simply addressing an injury by solely focusing on strengthening just your injured ________. 

While this approach is necessary to develop a foundation of muscle strength, capacity and are good ways to build a base or competency of strength, especially if you are a newbie to either exercising and/or physical therapy, being able to integrate & translate those strength gains in a way that meets or exceeds the activities of your daily life should be the next step in your Health, Wellness and Performance journey.

Here is what this means. 

You have to and need to be competent and confident in doing these 7 things: 

1.Pushups

2. Pull-Ups

3. Jumping

4. Squatting

5. Lunges

6. Deadlifting

7. Carrying (things)

And you eventually have to be able to do it at various levels of speed, intensity and time.

Sounds intimidating – right? 

Perhaps if you look at this from a different lens it will resonate with you a little more.

You may not realize it, but you’re already doing this everyday.

Every time you rise or sit onto a chair, sofa or toilet bowl, you’re doing a version of a Squat. 

Every time you pick something or your child up, you’re doing a version of a Deadlift. 

Every time you go up or down stairs, you’re doing a version of a Lunge.

Every time you hurry to catch a train or dance, you’re doing a version of Jumping.

Every time you get yourself up off the floor, you’re doing a version of a Pushup. 

And every time you reach up to shut the trunk door of your car or to sit up out of bed, you’re doing a version of a Pull-Up.

This is just a short list of examples.

Now if you’re struggling or are unable to complete any and all of these 7 essentials, don’t be too hard on yourself. Sometimes you’re not aware until someone points these things out. But if you knew these were things that needed attention and you decided not to take action, I hope this compels you to take one step closer towards adding functional fitness into your lifestyle and to reclaim what is rightly yours.

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Is there something stopping you from performing these 7 Functional Fitness essentials? Give us a call at (516) 421-6363 or email [email protected]