“Functional fitness” is one of those pieces of wellness jargon that is thrown around a batch-And for good reason. training style strengthens your essential movement patterns so that everyday tasks (such as squatting to pick something up or reaching to grab something heavy) become a piece of cake. Unsurprisingly, basic training is, well, a center component of any solid functional strength training regimen.
On this week’s episode of Well+Good’s Club Coach of the Month, let rileyLululemon ambassador, Mirror trainer and founder of The sweaty smile squadintroduces you to eight moves that are sure to make your life (or, well, at least the way you move) a little easier.
This short and sweet workout requires no equipment, and you’ll go through two rounds of eight moves (along with a good warm-up and cool-down). Riley’s program includes exercises that you may consider your old fitness friends. like squatscalf raises, lunges with rotation and side lunges. However, throughout the routine, she will also hear Riley remind her to focus on the core of him because, in his own words, it is the “core of everything we are and everything we do.” And, she hears her, it’s true: strengthening your core muscles helps stabilize and balance you by making sure your pelvis, lower back, hips, and core work together.
So when you’re ready to queue Riley’s video for yourself, know that you truly understand the “why” behind your training. And know that later, when you’re, say, loading the groceries, these 15 minutes will pay off in spades.