Functional Living

The idea of “functional living” is less complex than one may think.

Ask yourself the following questions:

• Do I sit down on the toilet every day?
• Do I sit down to eat a meal?
• Do I sit down on the couch and get up to go do something?
• Do I bend down to pick up my keys if I drop them on the floor?
• Do I reach overhead to get something from a cabinet?
• Do I reach overhead to brush or wash my hair?

You most likely answered many of these questions as “Yes”. Whether you know it or not, this means that you squat, deadlift, and reach above your head daily. These are all functional activities. We live busy and active lives and the idea of avoiding squatting, bending forward, or reaching above your head is unavoidable. So instead of avoiding squatting because you NEED to do it to go to the bathroom, ask yourself: Doesn’t it make more sense to get stronger to do it with less difficulty? Of course it does!

The words “squat” and “deadlift” are scary to many because it is associated with big body builders and heavy barbells. That doesn’t have to be the case. Of course, if you are injured and typically do these activities then we will work together to get you back to that barbell. However, most people simply need to build strength and stability to be able to stand up and sit down to the toilet/couch or be able to bend over to pick something up off the floor. It is important to train and strengthen your body for these practical activities. This way tasks become more functional rather than avoiding them.