Functional training helps you build strength, power, and mobility that translate beyond the gym. It enhances one’s ability to perform activities in daily life. For example, a squat is a functional exercise because it also works the muscles you use to squat down and grab something you dropped.

Functional training emerged from the rehabilitation of soldiers who returned from World War I with injuries that cost them basic daily functions such as walking, bending, sitting and standing. The physical therapy they received emphasized core strength and mobility, which are essential for virtually all movement. Click here to know more about functional fitness and if it is right for you.