Top 10 Functional Exercises for a Full-Body Workout
While it can be easy to get wrapped up in the latest workout trends that may come and go, and almost always (falsely) promise to tone you up overnight, we found an exercise regimen that you should totally get on board with for its practical nature. It’s called functional fitness, and is actually a series of exercises that are designed with how you actually use your body in mind (hence the use of the term function!) and train your muscles to be able to accomplish the IRL activities you want to do each day. Super practical, right? It gives you the opportunity to think about fitness and how it fits into your life — because those goals are different for every body, and that’s okay.
The bonus is that functional fitness has tons of benefits for your body. By performing exercises that mimic movement that you would do out in the “real world,” you target multiple muscle groups and reap full-body benefits that’ll help you do what you need to do, but stronger, in less time. (For example, if you have a six-floor walk-up apartment, or have a chronic knee injury, functional exercises can help you cope with both.)
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There is less isolation involved in functional exercises like you’d do if you were just doing straight squats — you’re using multiple muscle groups and joints, according to the Mayo Clinic. It’s more of a full-body movement that’ll incorporate the shoulders, spine, hips, and knees, to improve body alignment and help you avoid injury. And it can do wonders for your balance and agility, which is especially important as you age, per the Mayo Clinic.
You may see a noticeable difference in your balance, posture, strength, and agility once you complete just a few sessions of functional exercises. And because you have to use your brain to do the moves, time goes by faster than regular workouts. That is one workout perk you absolutely can’t beat!
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Here are 10 of our favorite functional exercises to give you a full-body workout.
Medicine ball squat with overhead lift
Functionality: Even though you lift your kids and groceries with your arms, your legs and back are also key players. This exercise strengthens your legs, glutes, lower back, arms and shoulders.
Exercise: Stand with your feet wide apart, holding a light medicine ball in front of you with both hands. Squat down, making sure your butt is back, and keep your knees over your ankles. Lower a small medicine ball to the floor, keeping your head up and back straight (don’t hunch). Return to the start position, and lift the medicine ball over your head. Repeat the squat, and lower ball to the ground. Perform three sets of 10 repetitions. Increase the weight of the ball as you get stronger.
Stair climb with bicep curl
Functionality: Whether you have stairs at your house or have to climb them elsewhere, using stairs as part of your fitness program will keep your legs conditioned and toned. Partnering stair climbs with bicep curls will strengthen your arms and improve your ability to carry things up the stairs (especially if there’s no one to pitch in and help you on grocery day). This exercise will also boost your cardiovascular fitness.
Exercise: Stand at the bottom of a flight of stairs, holding a 5- to 8-pound dumbbell in each hand. Climb the stairs while performing bicep curls. Walk or run down the stairs while holding the weights, but don’t do curls. Repeat five to 10 times. Increase the dumbbell weight as your arms get stronger, and mix up your climbs by taking two steps at a time for a flight or two.
Hip extension with reverse fly
Functionality: This exercise improves your balance and coordination as well as strengthens your upper, mid and lower back, shoulders, glutes and legs.
Exercise: Stand tall, holding a 5-pound dumbbell in each hand. Extend your right leg back, and place your toe on the floor, keeping your right leg straight. Lean forward slightly at the hips. Lift your right leg behind you as you bring your chest toward the floor and lift your arms straight out, forming a T at your shoulders, squeezing your shoulder blades together and keeping your head in line with your neck. Return to the start position. Repeat 10 to 15 times for each leg. As you get stronger, increase dumbbell weight, and strap 2- to 5-pound weights on your ankles.
Diagonal reach with medicine ball
Functionality: When you reach for your boots on the top shelf of your closet, pay attention to how your body moves — one arm reaches up while the opposite leg slightly lifts to the side. This exercise works all the muscles — arms, shoulders, legs — involved in lifting something diagonally overhead as well as lowering it.
Exercise: Stand tall, holding a medicine ball at your chest with both hands. Lift the medicine ball diagonally overhead to the right, straightening your arms while extending your left leg to the side, making a diagonal line from the medicine ball to your toes. Lower to the start position. Repeat 10 to 15 times for each leg. Increase the weight of the medicine ball, and strap 2- to 5-pound weights on your ankles as you get stronger.
Lunge with back row
Before you go, check out some of our favorite affordable at-home gym equipment to try:
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