What Is Functional Fitness And How Does It Help As You Age?

There is a lot of guidance around staying fit and healthy as you get older, but one of the most important areas to focus on is functional fitness. 

At its core, functional fitness encompasses activities that are designed to help counter age-related changes in our bodies, such as muscle loss, declining strength and power, and challenges with balance. 

Functional fitness is all about helping you maintain – or in some cases develop – the ability to carry out everyday tasks. 

The movements you perform can be related to activities you will often undertake. For instance, squats are a functional fitness movement because they strengthen the muscles in your legs that enable you to comfortably sit down and stand up.

There are a range of functional fitness exercises that you can easily perform at home without the need for any additional equipment, all of which will help you stay mobile and active. 

However, even if you regularly carry out functional fitness exercises and perhaps even undertake other training, you still need to be aware of your limitations and think about your safety at home at all times. 

The good news is that there are various home adaptations you can carry out that will help make your life easier. 

 

What home adaptations should you consider as you age?

The most important adaptations will be the ones that enable you to continue with your routine as best as possible.

Often that means the changes that can have the biggest impact will be the likes of installing easy access showers, perhaps with shower seating, to enable you to easily and safely continue to wash yourself. 

These kinds of adaptations don’t have to significantly alter your bathroom. It might be a simple change like installing a shower tray with a lower lip. Or adding a shower seat that gives you a place to rest while you are showering. 

You may have noticed that your mobility is deteriorating, but you are keen to introduce a functional fitness regime to help build up your strength and flexibility again. 

In this instance, having the right adaptations in place to support you while you regain your strength will be important. There is nothing wrong with making use of supportive devices that can make your life easier.

 

Can functional fitness help me recover from an injury?

Yes, it can and by its nature it can be easily tailored to suit your abilities and current fitness levels. 

If you are recovering from an injury or perhaps surgery, it is important to speak to your medical team to find out what is appropriate for you to do. There may be a period during which you are not advised to do much physical activity, for instance. 

Working with an exercise professional like a personal trainer can also be helpful, as they will be able to show you functional fitness movements you can do that are specific to your needs. 

Of course, if you already have home adaptations in place to support you, then you can continue to use those as needed while you regain your strength and mobility.