Functional Fitness Exercises for Seniors to Incorporate Into a Daily Routine
Have you ever felt frustrated by struggling to lift heavy grocery bags, getting winded while climbing stairs, or experiencing difficulty bending down to pick up something you dropped? The good news is, you have the power to change this.
These tasks are examples of functional movements — the daily movements we use. Functional movement is essential for living independently and completing day-to-day tasks with ease.
The good news is that strength training, when done correctly, can significantly improve these movements, making everyday life smoother and less tiring.
By focusing on exercises that mirror everyday movements, we can strengthen the muscles and joints and increase the stability needed to move more efficiently, reduce the risk of injury, and maintain independence throughout aging. These are not just exercises but tools to make your daily life easier.
This information should not be considered medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider before beginning any new exercise program, including functional fitness training.
What is Functional Movement?
Functional movement is the motion we use to perform daily activities like bending, lifting, twisting, and walking.
These actions are usually multi-joint and multi-muscle movements that require coordination, balance, and strength. For example, bending down to pick up an object involves your hips, knees, back, and core working together.
Without the strength and stability to perform these movements, the risk of injury increases, and daily tasks become more difficult over time.
How Strength Training Improves Functional Movement
Strength training builds the muscles, joints, and coordination necessary to support your body through everyday motions.
Functional movements like bending, lifting, and pulling rely on muscle groups working together, which is exactly what strength training helps to improve.
For example, completing a squat strengthens your legs, engages your core, stabilizes your back, and mimics the movement required to sit down in a chair.
By practicing these types of movements in a controlled, repetitive environment (like the gym or at home) as functional exercise movements, you prepare your body to perform them more easily and safely in your day-to-day life.
With better muscle strength, balance, and flexibility, your body moves more easily, reducing your risk of injury and enhancing your ability to complete everyday tasks like carrying heavy bags or climbing stairs.
Functional Movements in Everyday Life and Their Associated Strength Training Exercises
Now that we’ve covered why strength training is so effective for functional movement, let’s look at specific examples of how certain exercises directly translate to everyday tasks.
Here’s a comprehensive chart comparing functional movements with the strength exercises that will help improve them.
Start Incorporating Functional Exercise in Your Daily Life…
1. Bending Down
Examples in Daily Life: Picking up something you dropped, putting dishes in the dishwasher.
Exercises -
Squats: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, lower your body as if sitting back into a chair and rise back up, maintaining good posture throughout.
Chair Squats: If you want added support or to modify, you can complete a chair squat before and regular squat. Begin seated in a chair, rise to a full stand, and then very slowly sit back down, controlling the movement.
2. Lifting from the Ground
Examples in Daily Life: Lifting objects like heavy grocery bags, or moving furniture.
Exercises -
Deadlifts: Stand with feet hip-width apart, bend at the hips to lower, grab a barbell or dumbbells, and stand by lifting the weight while keeping your back straight.
Kettlebell Deadlifts: These are similar to deadlifts but use a kettlebell placed between the feet, focusing on the same lifting technique.
No weights? No problem. You can use a sturdy laundry basket filled with clothes for deadlifts and a jug of laundry detergent instead of a kettlebell.
These exercises also work on grip strength, which is important to remain independent.
3. Stepping Forwards/Backwards
Examples in Daily Life: Walking upstairs, stepping into a car.
Exercises -
Lunges: Step forward with one leg, lower your hips to drop your back knee towards the floor, and push back up to the starting position. Use a hallway for support; lightly touch the walls if you need help balancing.
Step-ups: Face a sturdy step or platform, step up with one foot, bring the other foot up to meet it, then step down with the leading foot and follow with the other.
4. Lifting Overhead
Examples in Daily Life: Putting items on a high shelf, hanging curtains.
Exercises -
Military Press: Stand with your feet hip-width apart, engaging your core to maintain stability. Hold the dumbbells at shoulder height, keeping them parallel to each other. Press the dumbbells straight up overhead, then slowly lower them back down to shoulder height, maintaining control throughout the movement. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Dumbbell Shoulder Press: Stand tall with your core engaged to support your posture. Hold the dumbbells at shoulder height with your palms facing forward. Press both arms upward until the dumbbells are directly overhead. With control, lower the dumbbells back down to shoulder height, maintaining steady movement throughout the exercise. You can also use household items like cans or bottles to add resistance instead of dumbbells.
5. Core Stabilization
Examples in Daily Life: Maintaining posture while sitting or standing, pushing a shopping cart.
Exercises -
Planks: Lie face down, then raise yourself on your forearms and toes, keeping your body a straight line from head to heels. You can perform planks on a yoga mat or directly on the carpet for comfort.
Bird Dogs: On hands and knees, fully extend one arm in front of you and extend the opposite leg, hold, then switch to the other arm and leg.
6. Pulling Movements
Examples in Daily Life: Opening a heavy door, pulling a heavy object across the floor, pulling weeds in the garden.
Exercises -
Rows: Bend slightly at the hips, hold weights, and pull them towards your torso, keeping elbows close to your body.
Pull-ups: Hang from a bar with hands shoulder-width apart, pull your body up until your chin is over the bar, then lower back down. To modify this, use a resistance band or an assisted pull-up machine to support some of your body weight as you pull yourself up.
7. Bending from the Hips
Examples in Daily Life: Tying your shoes, reaching for something low.
Exercises -
Good Mornings: Stand with a slight bend in your knees, a barbell across your shoulders or holding dumbells on your shoulders, bend at your hips to lower your torso, then stand back up.
Glute Bridges: Lie on your back with your knees bent. Lift your hips to create a straight line from your knees to your shoulders, then lower back down.
8. Climbing
Examples in Daily Life: Climbing stairs and getting in and out of a vehicle.
Exercises -
Step-ups: Using a step, sturdy chair, or platform, step up with one foot, bring the other up to meet it, and then step down in reverse.
Stair Climbing: Use actual stairs for repeated up-and-down movements to build strength and coordination. To increase difficulty, increase your repetitions of flights. You can also use a stair stepper machine at the gym.
9. Carrying Heavy Objects
Examples in Daily Life: Carrying groceries, moving a large potted plant.
Exercises -
Farmer’s Carry: Hold a weight in each hand at your sides and walk a specified distance. If you don’t have weights at home, use jugs of milk or water or fill reusable grocery bags with weighted items.
Suitcase Carry: These are similar to farmer's carries but carry the weight in one hand at a time, like you would with a suitcase.
10. Pushing Movements
Examples in Daily Life: Pushing a door open, and pushing heavy objects like furniture.
Exercises -
Push-ups: Begin in a plank position, lower your body to the floor by bending your elbows, and push back up. If a floor push-up is too challenging, use the kitchen counter or the wall to perform incline push-ups.
Bench Press: Lie back on a bench with a barbell positioned above your chest. Slowly lower the bar until it touches your chest, then push it back up to the starting position. Add weight on each side as completing repetitions with just the bar gets easier.
How to Integrate Strength Training into Your Routine
You don’t need to spend hours in the gym to benefit from strength training. You can start by incorporating some of these functional exercises into your routine, even at home.
For example, you can practice squatting while picking up laundry or doing step-ups while cleaning. As you build strength, you can add resistance by using dumbbells, resistance bands, or even household items like detergent jugs.
Start with bodyweight exercises, then gradually increase the difficulty by adding more weight or increasing the number of repetitions. The key is consistency—regular practice of functional movements will improve your everyday tasks and ability to perform activities.
Integrating functional movements into your routine enhances muscle strength, helps prevent injuries, increases stability, and boosts overall quality of life. With dedication and gradual progression, you can build a sustainable strength training routine that fits your lifestyle, whether at home or in the gym.
The Importance of Strength and Functional Exercise as You Age
As we get older, maintaining functional strength becomes even more important. Without proper strength and stability, everyday tasks like climbing stairs or carrying groceries can become difficult, leading to loss of independence and increased risk of falls.
Strength training can help prevent this by improving balance, coordination, and overall mobility. The stronger your muscles and the more stable your joints are, the easier it is to continue living an active, independent lifestyle.
Safety Tips for Functional Strength Training
While strength training has numerous benefits, practicing proper form is essential to avoid injury. Focus on correct posture and alignment during each movement.
For beginners starting weight training or those recovering from injury, it’s a good idea to start slow and work with a professional personal trainer who can safely guide you through the exercises.
If you have chronic health conditions or a history of injuries, consult with your doctor before starting a new exercise program.
Conclusion
Functional resistance training is more than just lifting weights at the gym; it’s about preparing your body for the movements and tasks you do every day.
By incorporating exercises that target real-world actions like bending, lifting, and pushing, you’ll move more efficiently, reduce the risk of injury, and enjoy a higher quality of life.
At Premier Personal Fitness, we specialize in personal training tailored specifically for seniors. Our programs focus on functional exercises that improve mobility and strength and enhance independence.
These exercises are designed to mimic daily activities, helping you perform everyday tasks with ease and confidence. Whether you're looking to carry groceries, climb stairs, or play with your grandchildren, our expert trainers guide you every step of the way.
Contact us now to schedule your first session and begin improving your functional fitness!