Fitness

THE BALANCED LIFE: Functional Fitness could be for you

Published

2 days ago

January 5, 2025

THE BALANCED LIFE: Functional Fitness could be for you

It’s January 2, you’re at one of Pelham’s great cafes discussing your New Year’s fitness resolution over a double latte and chocolate brownie with your BFF, and you confide, “Making the resolution was the easy part. I really do want to get more fit, but there are so many different programs and plans, I haven’t got a clue where to start.”

Exploring Functional Fitness may be your answer. At its most basic level—and there are levels for everyone—functional fitness is designed to prioritize exercises that allow us to stay active and healthy throughout our lives, and perform daily tasks more easily.

At age 40 this might mean playing with the kids, enjoying a pick-up hockey game or round of tennis, staying pain-free at work, or simply doing all those physical things you do with less effort.

By age 60 or 70 it may mean getting in or out of a chair graciously, reaching a high or low shelf without excessive strain, or successfully standing on one foot while changing your underwear without falling over.

Most of us are more familiar with exercises or routines designed for a singular purpose: losing weight or improving cardiovascular strength, which both require workouts designed to burn calories and increase heart rate, improving muscular definition for those sculpted beach selfies, or programs designed to improve muscle and flexibility performance related to a specific sport. These exercises isolate and train individual muscle groups rather than addressing the functionality and quality of various multi-joint, multi-muscle movements in which shoulders, hips, core muscles, knees, the spine and many other body components all interact together, such as lifting, balancing, twisting and squatting.

Functional fitness stresses compound exercising, or training, which strengthens your muscles in the same way that your body uses them for real-life, day-to-day tasks. The benefits include better balance and increased stability, a reduced risk of injury and strains, and an overall improvement in quality of life.

A study led by Giovanni Angelo Navarra, of the Sport and Exercise Research Unit, Department of Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, published by the United States National Library of Medicine in September 2023, and titled Functional fitness, lifestyle and demographic predictors of perceived physical and mental health in older adults: A structural equation model (SEM), states the following, “The SEM analysis revealed that functional fitness…was a strong predictor of both perceived physical and perceived mental health in the sample of elderly participants. Physical activity level was a predictor of the perceived physical component but not of mental health, nor were socio-demographic factors or adherence to a Mediterranean diet.

“The present findings suggest that it would be strongly recommended for elderly subjects (over 60 years old in this study) to engage in functional physical activity specifically targeted to aged populations, in order to enhance their fitness abilities and enable them to improve the perception of their own health status.”

My apologies for the drawn-out accreditation details and subsequent longish quotes, but in my opinion this is a significant finding, so the ducks should all be in a row if you wish to follow up on your own.

It’s so simple, yet profound
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Functional fitness workouts that are targeted to the things we do every day in our real lives not only improve our fitness but also the self-perception of our health. It’s so simple, yet profound. If we do activities that allow us to reach and twist and bend and stand tall and balance well, we’ll feel the benefits more intuitively and believe we’re in better shape, aging better, than if we do isolated muscle group exercises, have a strong socio-demographic identity, or follow a good dietary regimen.

Simply put, doing the stuff we have to do easily and efficiently is one of the most important indicators to believing life is good.

As mentioned earlier, functional fitness exercises or training can apply to all ages. Navarra’s study was aimed at seniors, a broad-brush term that is useless for most things beyond price discounts and pension eligibility. At the more sedentary end of the senior spectrum, or for those who are beginning a fitness program, functional exercises can start with getting out of chairs, step-ups, single leg balances, and low- or high-shelf reaches.

Next step for the somewhat fit would be to add increasing resistance or weight to the same type of exercises to improve functional fitness. For example, squats and lunges could include a kettlebell weight, and balance exercises might involve stretchy bands as one progresses, increasing the functional strength component.

Many kids and younger adults focus on single-sport fitness and muscle development programs, which are great. Simon Damborg, president of the Canadian Functional Fitness Federation, would suggest that those in this group also add Crossfit or Spartan-type training approaches or events to increase their functional fitness. A Spartan Sprint is a short, 5-kilometre off-road event in which participants must overcome 20 obstacles using combinations of every muscle group in their bodies — a perfect precursor to functional fitness routines designed to meet their needs as they age.

Check out functional fitness for yourself. There are lots of videos and detailed articles on the subject, from a Participaction/YMCA beginner approach to information provided by doctors, physiotherapists and professional coaches – none of which I am.

You might find it interesting, even enlightening. Functional fitness was a huge eye-opener for this guy who cycles 100 kilometres with ease but has—make that had—to get down on one knee to find the broccoli hidden on the refrigerator’s bottom shelf.

After three decades co-owning various southern Ontario small businesses with his wife, John Swart has enjoyed 15 years in retirement volunteering, bicycling the world, and feature writing, and is an award-winning Pelham columnist writing for Niagara readers.

Fitness

Here Are 5 Tips To Keep Active Through the Winter

Published

4 hours ago

January 6, 2025

Press Room

Here Are 5 Tips To Keep Active Through the Winter

Snow and ice, illness, holiday travel and packed schedules are among the many reasons people struggle to stay fit in winter.

Damon Swift, associate professor of kinesiology at the University of Virginia’s School of Education and Human Development, studies the health impacts of exercise. He said consistency in exercise is important, and switching from an active to sedentary lifestyle for three months could cause you to lose benefits like cardiovascular fitness and muscle strength.

Fortunately, there’s a lot you can do to adapt your workout routine and stay healthy during the winter. Swift shared his best advice with UVA Today.

Think Beyond Weight

To stay motivated, Swift recommends focusing on the many benefits of exercise. “I think sometimes the perception is, ‘If I’m not losing weight, I’m not improving my health,’” he said. “But it’s important to know there are benefits beyond weight control.”

Swift said exercise provides mental health benefits, which are especially important when sunlight is scarce. Research shows exercise can reduce the risk of depression and improve symptoms of depression.

Exercise also strengthens the immune system, an important benefit during cold and flu season.

Prepare for the Weather

Freezing temperatures, cold and ice can derail your exercise routine.

Swift said exercising in cold weather affects how the body responds to activity. “When you’re exercising in the cold, blood flow gets directed away from your extremities to protect the warmth at your core,” he said. “Your metabolic rate, or the amount of energy your body is using, also tends to be a little bit higher to try to regulate your body temperature.”

If you enjoy exercising outdoors, be sure to dress appropriately for the weather, wear breathable layers, a hat and gloves. Older adults or others at higher risk of injury should take extra precautions if there’s snow or ice on the ground.

Of course, exercise doesn’t have to be outdoors. If working out in the cold and snow isn’t appealing, consider switching to indoor activities like swimming or at-home workout videos.

Find Small Ways To Be Active

Swift recommends finding creative ways to add more activity to your day. He recalled a study that focused on increasing people’s physical activity outside of formal training.

“We had participants who would call their adult children and just walk around their house and accumulate steps that way,” he said.

Devices like step counters or activity monitors can help track all types of movement.

Adding more activity can be as simple as parking your car farther from the office or engaging in active play with your children. “Don’t just think about physical activity as being on a treadmill,” Swift said. “Are there places where physical activity can become a part of what you’re already doing?”

Make a Plan

For optimal health benefits, experts recommend 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity per week for adults. But making a plan for when to exercise is key.

“The people that tend to do the best in our research studies are the ones that exercise at the same time every single day because it becomes part of their regular routine,” he said. “If you can say, ‘OK, this is going to be my exercise time,’ and you protect that time, you’re probably better off than if you just hope that you’re going to get out there at some point.”

Swift advises to “never miss a Monday” when it comes to physical activity.

“Planning to get exercise in the earlier parts of the week will help you in case something happens toward the end of the week,” he said.

Be Flexible

Swift acknowledges that even the best plan may go awry. The most important thing to remember is exercise is not all or nothing. Adding just a small amount of physical activity to your day is where you get the most bang for your buck, health-wise.

Fitness

Feeling Stressed? Here’s Why You Should Make Time for Somatic Workouts

Published

12 hours ago

January 6, 2025

Press Room

Feeling Stressed? Here’s Why You Should Make Time for Somatic Workouts

In this hyperactive world of non-stop schedules and endless notifications, busy people often exercise to regulate stress. A solid sweat session can leave you feeling more energised and even happier after your body produces endorphins from all that movement – but that’s not always the best course of action. An intense workout can also crank up cortisol, your body’s stress hormone. If your stress levels are already through the roof, what your body might actually need is something slower and easier, whether you want to admit it or not.

Somatic workouts – a style of slow, mindful, body-focused exercise – have gained popularity as a remedy to society’s collective elevated stress state. This type of training can help you dial things down, relax, and reconnect to your body. Here’s what you need to know and how to work more somatic training into your routine.

What Are Somatic Workouts?

Instead of chasing PRs or burning out in a HIIT workout, somatic exercise is about tuning in toward yourself. ‘It’s prioritising movement that feels good and listening to what your body’s telling you,’ says Julianne Lane, DPT, C.S.C.S., a physical therapist at Bespoke Treatments in San Diego who uses somatic movement in her practice. ‘It shouldn’t be painful, strenuous, or difficult. It’s about allowing your body and your mind to link up so that you can be more in tune with yourself.’

Mind-body practices like yoga and tai-chi are obvious examples, but somatic exercises don’t always look like exercise. Anything that syncs your movements with internal awareness can count – like stretching, walking, and even breathwork. ‘You’re not really going into that exercise with a strength-gain or competitive goal; it’s more about the mindfulness,’ says Lane. During this movement, you’re focusing on how it feels in your body rather than what it looks like.

Who Are Somatic Workouts Good For?

Somatic workouts can benefit anyone stuck in a chronic state of stress. While traditional exercise activates your sympathetic nervous system (the network behind the of nerves behind the fight-or-flight response), somatic workouts have a different effect: they turn on your parasympathetic nervous system, the rest and digest system. ‘It helps your body actually relax,’ says Lane. Your heart rate lowers, you feel calmer, and your muscles can release tension.

‘Let’s say you have a very stressful job,’ says Lane. ‘If you wake up first thing in the morning and go to an intense workout class – or late at night – that’s stressful on your body. You’re keeping cortisol levels pretty high throughout the day.’ Somatic workouts can help by giving your nervous system a chance to recover before or after those high-intensity sessions. They’re also beneficial for people struggle to sleep, like those with sleep disorders or anyone who has a hard time winding down at night. And sleep is when recovery – and real strength gains – actually happen.

Somatic movement can also be an effective tool for managing chronic pain, like lower back pain. ‘By doing somatic movement, it allows patients to shift their focus away from the pain site to other parts of the body,’ says Lane. Over time, small studies have shown this can actually lower pain perception.

How to Add Somatic Exercises to Your Workout Routine

You don’t need to overhaul your workouts to try somatic movement. Just sprinkle these training approaches into your routine to expand your exercise horizons and connect better to your body. Start with a few minutes of somatic movement to your warm-up, cool-down, or recovery days. Here are a few simple practices to get you started:

1/ Body Scan

This exercise is all about body awareness. Start at the top of your body and move down to your toes, paying attention to how each part feels. ‘Start with gentle movements of the head and neck, and get hose muscles to really relax,’ says Lane. ‘Then you move down to the shoulders (little shoulder roll), and then to the hands (little wiggles). Then lay the hands still, and really work down the body that way.’

2/ Diaphragmatic Breathing

‘A lot of times we breathe with our accessory muscles like our upper traps, our neck muscles, or our chest muscles, rather than using our diaphragm throughout the day,’ says Lane. Instead, inhale deeply through your nose, letting your belly expand first, then your rib cage. Exhale slowly.

Bonus points: Pair this breathwork with deep stretches to make it a full somatic workout.

3/ Dance

Turn on your favorite song and move however your body feels like moving. Let your intuition guide you – there’s no wrong way.

4/ Yoga

Some fast-paced studio classes may miss the mark, but many yoga practices are inherently somatic when they focus on connecting breath and movement.

Just like any new habit, somatic exercise takes practice, and quieting your inner dialogue and focusing on feeling is easier said than done.

So start slow: ‘Try three days a week and then once that feels manageable, you can increase up to four or five times a week,’ says Lane. As you build consistency, you may notice yourself feeling calmer, more grounded, and better able to handle whatever life throws your way.

More Low-Intensity Training

Fitness

No time to exercise? Try this five-minute exercise snack while waiting for the air fryer to ping

Published

20 hours ago

January 6, 2025

Press Room

No time to exercise? Try this five-minute exercise snack while waiting for the air fryer to ping

When you’re busy, exercise is often one of the first things to fall by the wayside. When this happens to you, don’t beat yourself up about it—it happens to us all. Maintaining a positive mindset towards exercise is one of the things that will ensure it’s enjoyable and keep you motivated.

It’s also worth remembering that a little bit of exercise is better than none at all.

I was reminded of this when I recently saw Barre instructor Mara Cimatoribus’ workout for the time-poor. It’s a five-minute arms routine that you can do while you’re waiting for your dinner to cook, or a kettle to boil.

If you’ve never tried barre, it’s a brilliant way to get stronger. It involves low-impact movements that improve your mobility and strengthen a range of muscles, including those that you might not use as much in other forms of exercise.

This workout is designed to improve muscle tone in the arms and it’s great for boosting posture too.

How to do Mara Cimatoribus’ five-minute barre workout

There are five exercises in this routine, which Cimatoribus recommends doing for 20 reps, or 16 reps on each side of the body for the unilateral exercise.

All you’ll need for this workout is a light set of weights, but if you don’t have any, you can use water bottles or food cans, which will work just as well.

The benefits of habit stacking your workouts

Cimatoribus’ suggestion that you could do this workout while you’re waiting for your air fryer to cook your food is a great example of habit stacking, a technique that combines a new habit you want to adopt with a habit you already have (like cooking dinner, for example).

Research has found that habit stacking is a great way to lose weight and, in this case, it could also help you establish a new exercise routine, by remembering to do this quick five-minute workout every time you use the air fryer.

Incorporating regular movement into your life, even in short bursts, is an effective way to improve your physical and mental health—it just needs to be more than a one-off.