A friend recently asked if gardening and yard work were exercise. I responded with the technical definition that exercise is physical activity performed for the purpose of improving one’s health, performance, and/or appearance. My friend asked: “even if it is 5 miles pushing a gas mower to get the back yard done and another 5 miles to do up the front and side yards outside the fence. Helping the husband load 3400 pounds of scrap metal from his business and unload it at the salvage yard.” I have to say, my friend is doing far more physical activity than most of us do for exercise.
Exercise is important, but it is more important to be active. Why do I not like the phrase “functional training”? I think my friend’s activity best sums it up. First, all exercise should be functional. Above all, going to the gym to push a prowler sled is plain stupid, if you are going to return home to jump on a riding mower. All training is “functional” when it improves one’s ability to perform the activities of daily living—which all exercise will do when the overload principle is properly applied.
Strength and conditioning coaches prepare athletes to better perform in sports. Likewise, exercise for the nonathlete should elevate performance. Don’t go to the gym and walk on a treadmill at a relaxing pace or consider a brisk walk to the coffee shop exercise. Exercise to make you walks and hikes more pleasurable. Exercise should make other physical activity easier. Now, if you are pushing a lawnmower for 5 miles and loading a ton and a half of scrap metal as household chores, exercise need not be a high priority. If you can’t push a lawnmower or load scrap, then, perhaps (or very likely), exercise should be a higher priority.
Exercise should—and, when properly executed, will—improve the quality of one’s life. If it is not, either you are at peak performance (unlikely for most of us) or you are not strategically overloading your body systems.
If you want to be “functional” about your training, boost your regular physical activity. You don’t have to go to the gym to mimic daily activities. Use gym time to prepare you for functional activities and do functional activities on a regular basis.
Be your best today; be better tomorrow.
Carpe momento!