Recent trends in fitness continue to include functional, whole-body exercises with strength and flexibility training. The reason these types of routines remain popular is because they give participants a wide variety of exercises from which to choose. Personal trainers incorporate this type of training with clients to keep things fresh. Getting creative with your workout may be just what you need to stay interested and keep exercise in your life.
It’s pretty easy to go online and find fitness sites with new exercises you haven’t tried or knew nothing about. When looking for something new to do, there may be some terms thrown around that are also new to you. When reading about functional exercise and body weight exercises, terms and acronyms such as isometric, isotonic, plyometrics, core, and HIIT are common. It’s important to have some understanding of these to understand what you are reading. Beyond that, having a general understanding of muscle names and locations on the body will help you interpret what you find. There are plenty of sources that go over basic muscle anatomy to help you understand parts of the body being worked.
Isometric vs Isotonic Exercises: These two terms are common in strength training. Isometric exercises are those in which no movement is being performed. Body weight exercises like planks and wall sits fit this description. Muscles are contracted, but the joints are not moving/flexing through a range of motion. Isotonic exercises, as you’ve guessed by now, are those in which your joints are moving through a range of motion against a resistance. Common body weight exercises include squats and pushups. A primary benefit to isometric exercises is lessening joint stress. Although moving through a range of motion is more functional, moving against a resistance does create wear or can cause additional pain in already damaged joints (arthritis).
Plyometrics are usually associated with athletic performance but can be suitable for anyone looking for something new. When you see this term, it refers to exercises designed to train the speed (reaction time) of muscle contractions. Simply hopping, for instance, is a form of plyometrics. Your muscles must contract to hop then on the “landing” phase the muscles quickly contract again to absorb body weight. So, exercises like jumping rope and jumping jacks are examples. These are also cardiovascular as they can be performed for longer periods of time. Other common forms of plyometrics are squat jumps, box jumps, and plyo push-ups. They are performed more deliberately to improve strength and speed of muscle contraction. Plyometrics are definitely more intense, in general, but can be modified so anyone can add something new to a workout routine.
Core exercises are more than just isolating abdominal and low back muscles. Although they use those muscles, the core should be thought of as the entire torso down to the knee joints. Muscles supporting the hip joints are especially important when talking about the core. A strong core is where overall strength and balance starts and is what functional exercise is all about. A weak core doesn’t help no matter how big one’s biceps might be.
HIIT (high intensity interval training) are routines that will combine a lot of functional/body weight exercises into a series of work intervals and rest intervals. “High intensity” is relative to the individual. If you are looking for something new, don’t be intimidated by “high intensity”. It simply means intervals of higher effort for you, personally. This type of routine is great for strength and cardiovascular benefit. There are many variations, but finding exercises you can perform and performing them in short bursts at a high intensity (for you) followed by rest intervals is a great way to keep you from getting bored with exercise.
The biggest concern with exercise is to do it regularly. If you tend to get bored with the same routine, look up ways to keep things fun and interesting. Knowing a little more about what you are about to take on is important, so you understand how to get the most out of your routine.
