When it comes to training for obstacle course racing (OCR), we all have different goals and reasons for our pursuits. Some common goals are to try something new, improve fitness, lose weight, increase energy, and improve overall health. So, how do you accomplish these types of goals?

Functional fitness is a type of training that helps you prepare for OCR, achieve your goals and more. With functional fitness training, even everyday movements and daily activities become easier to do.

If you’re curious to learn more about this style of training, get to know functional fitness with these six facts:

1. Functional fitness training isn’t a buzzword.

Functional fitness training isn’t a buzzword or the latest fad. It’s a training method that’s here to stay.

2. Functional fitness training replicates what you do in your everyday life.

Functional exercises are like what you do in sports, on obstacle courses, and in daily life. Movements include pushing, pulling, twisting, reaching, squatting, and rotating.

3. Functional fitness training is for all fitness levels.

You can scale or modify pretty much any functional training exercise to match your current fitness level. A coach or instructor can help you adjust any movement to account for your strength, mobility, and coordination.

4. Functional fitness improves mobility and coordination.

Functional movements use a joint’s full range of motion. As a result, you improve your joint mobility and coordination. Not only will functional training help you move better during a workout, but you’ll also move better throughout your day.

5. Functional fitness training can reduce your injury risk.

Functional fitness training reduces your risk of injury by training movements that you usually do in everyday life. If you bend down to pick up a heavy bag of dog food or a large bucket of kitty litter, you’re less likely to tweak your back when your body has trained to move safely in this way.

6. Functional exercises involve multiple muscle groups.

Everyday movements rarely involved just a single muscle group. Most movements include multiple muscle groups, which is why functional exercises recruit multiple muscle groups. Rather than a single-joint movement, like a biceps curl, functional movements include exercises like the squat, deadlift, or shoulder press.

Get started with OCR training at Desert Shield Fitness in Abu Dhabi. We’ll get you race ready! Contact us to learn more about the programs and classes we’re currently offering.