What is Functional Fitness and how does it benefit me?
August 22, 2021
Written By: Coach Emma Let’s talk about functional fitness!
Functional fitness means doing movements in your workouts that translate into your everyday life. For example, when we squat it relates to standing up from a chair, getting on and off the toilet, bending down to weed your flower beds, the list goes on and on!
You may wonder "if I do these movements everyday in my normal life, why should I worry about doing squats in the gym?", this question brings up so many answers besides the muscle gains!
Here are some of the reasons that functional fitness is so great:
Doing functional fitness allows our bodies to age better!
Functional fitness allows us to take care of ourselves as long as possible. From getting ourselves out of bed when we are older to being able to get ourselves on and off the toilet; These are all things you are more than likely going to want to be able to do yourself when you’re older and functional fitness helps us keep those muscles trained so we can do these things as long as possible!
Helps us avoid injuries!
At most jobs when you go over health and safety training they will talk to you about lifting heavy objects and tell you to make sure to lift with your legs and not your back.
It sounds simple enough, but people still hurt their backs when it comes to lifting heavy objects at work or anywhere!
This happens because we aren’t told about the importance of bracing our cores while lifting with our legs. Bracing your core is one of the key points you will go over while deadlifting because it reduces the strain on your lower back! When you learn and train this in the gym, it allows you to use it in real life when you're lifting heavy objects and to preform these everyday tasks without injury!
Helps us move better!
Functional fitness can truly change the way you move in your day to day life! It helps us build muscles that help us pick up our children or grandchildren with ease, it helps us increase our endurance making it easier for us to get up the stairs without feeling light headed. It allows us to strengthen our cores to help us protect our backs and decrease back pain! Functional fitness helps you to preform every day movements with ease.
Functional fitness as a whole is what Degree is all about!
When you come to any class or session at Degree your Coach will more than likely tell you the functional benefits of the movements you’re performing, allowing you to understand WHY we have you perform certain movements; WHY we have you push yourselves to pick a fast pace during certain workouts, as well as the benefits of the workouts and movements you are doing!
As much as we workout to be healthy now, we also do it to maintain our health and to be healthy later on in life; This is why functional fitness is so important!
Are you interested in aging gracefully, avoiding injuries, and overall feeling and moving better? Reply back to this email or, shoot me an email at emma@degreefitnessseaforth.com
to take your first step today!
Written By: Coach Sienna The media portrays fitness as looking a certain way and creating this picture of a “perfect person” who eats clean and works out everyday and does everything right and never messes up. When you're always being shown this version of fitness it’s easy to start to think, is this what being fit is? ..... And suddenly you find yourself comparing yourself to unrealistic standards. Fitness is much more than the shape of our body! It's about what your body can do for you and how it can support your daily life and how movement makes you feel strong, accomplished, proud, empowered! Here is how we can overcome the negative impact that some Media has on us, and fitness in general: Redefine Fitness Fitness is more than your body, it's strength, endurance, mobility, energy and how you feel. It's not supposed to be perfect or linear, your body will change and life will happen. What matters most is showing up for yourself and moving your body. Even a little bit can go a long way! Positive Self Talk You don't have to be perfect to love yourself. Be kind to your mind and speak to yourself with kindness. Remind yourself of what your body can do for you, remember you are WORTHY! :) Focusing On The Little Wins We often have such a heavy focus on how we look but what if it was never about how we looked but more about how we felt. Do you notice after you get in a workout or a session you always tend to have a lift in your mood and a shift in perspective. Movement has the power to make us feel strong and happy and more like ourselves! Do Movements You Enjoy Fitness should be fun and functional. You are more likely to stick to it if you enjoy it! Find movements that excite you. Like lifting, walking, running, dancing, gymnastics etc. When you focus on what your body can do and not what it looks like, you can start to see how strong and capable you really are! Set Goals Related To Movement-Mood-Function Movement - touching your toes or doing your first push-up Mood - Having more energy during the day and feeling less anxious Function - Carrying groceries, running around with your kids, etc. Remember - you are already enough! You don't need to look a certain way to be fit. You just need to move your body in a way you enjoy, take care of yourself and celebrate what your body does for you everyday! If you've been feeling stuck, or wanting to start working out with a Coach, or in an environment that is inclusive, inviting, safe, honours all body shapes and sizes, we can help! CLICK HERE to book a free meeting with one of our Coaches to learn how you can get started at Degree or, email info@degreefitnessseaforth.com .
Written By: Coach Sienna We know Cardio is good for your heart health but it is also good for our respiratory systems which help bring oxygen to fuel our muscles to do what they gotta do! By doing cardio we strengthen all of these components which help us live a happier healthy lifestyle! Your body is built to move and releases happy chemicals called endorphins from having an increased heart rate which can improve your mood. This can happen in just 10 minutes! We all know Cardio is an important part of our health but most of us just don’t have a lot of time due to kids, work, life etc. Just remember any movement is a good movement! No matter how long or short it may be. The little things add up (: Use this 10 minute at home cardio workout (no equipment needed!) to get your heart rate up and feeling your best even on the busiest days. 2 Rounds of 1 minute of Jumping Jacks 1 minute of High Knees 1 minute Air Squats or Jump Squat 1 minute of Burpees 1 minute of Mountain Climbers *Rest as needed but try to keep it 30s or less between movements! We understand life gets in the way and schedules can be tough - we are here to help! Let us know how it went! Email info@degreefitnessseaforth.com , or, visit www.degreefitnessseaforth.com/get-started to book your FREE No Sweat Intro to learn more!
Written By: Mairead, Registered Dietitian You've probably heard of iron and know it's important. Maybe you've even had your levels checked through bloodwork! Iron is an important mineral in our diet. It is part of the blood cells that carry oxygen around our body, and plays roles in growth and the production of some hormones. The amount of iron you need varies. Men need less, while women need more due to blood loss during menstruation. This puts women at higher risk for low iron. The symptoms of low iron include feeling sluggish and fatigued, pale skin, and even hair loss! Women under 50 years old need 18mg of iron a day, while women over 50 and all men only need 8mg of iron daily. Many people can get enough iron through a varied and balanced diet. Iron is found in meat, poultry, fish, legumes, eggs, soy, and many grains and vegetables. Our bodies are better able to absorb iron from animal sources - this type of iron is referred to as "heme iron". Non-heme iron is found in plant sources and is harder for your body to absorb. If you rely on plant-based sources of iron, you may need to eat a lot more of it. Pairing iron sources with sources of vitamin C can also help increase absorption. If you suspect your iron levels are low, ask your doctor to check your levels through a blood test. If your iron level is low and you're already consuming enough through diet, you may need a supplement to increase your levels. Always check if you actually need an iron supplement before starting one! Iron plays some key roles in our bodies, and is important for overall health! Make sure you include a variety of sources daily to meet your body's needs! Looking for more personalized nutrition advice? Let's chat! Email mairead@degreefitnessseaforth.com for more information about our Nutrition Programs, or click HERE to book your FREE Bite-Sized Nutrition Chat!