Functional fitness: how to train for everyday life

Forget chiselled abs and bulging biceps for a moment. What do you actually want your body to do?

This week a post about exactly that trended online. One person said their fitness goal wasn't big arms at all, and hundreds agreed, listing goals like climbing the stairs without gasping, keeping up with the kids and having energy left at the end of the day.

That's functional fitness: training for the life you actually live. Here is what it means, how it fits Australia's movement guidelines, a simple way to start, and how the Thrive Health Band helps you see your progress.

What is functional fitness?

Functional fitness is exercise that helps with everyday movements. Think about what you do in a normal week: getting up from a chair, carrying the shopping, lifting a child or a suitcase, reaching up to a high shelf, climbing stairs, getting down to the floor and back up again.

Each of those uses a handful of basic movement patterns:

Squatting, like sitting down and standing up.
Hinging, like bending to pick something up off the floor.
Pushing and pulling, like closing a heavy door or lifting a bag into the car.
Carrying, like taking the shopping in from the car.
Stepping and balancing, like climbing stairs or walking on uneven ground.

Train those patterns, and daily life tends to feel easier.

Why it matters, at any age

The Better Health Channel says strength training can help with stamina, posture, mobility and balance, and with everyday tasks. It also notes that maintaining flexibility and balance can help you remain independent as you get older.

Australia's 24-hour movement guidelines name this kind of activity directly. Alongside 30 minutes or more of moderate to vigorous activity on most days and muscle strengthening on two or more days a week, they suggest functional activities that work on mobility, balance and coordination on three or more days a week. They also note that some activities count twice: walking up and down stairs counts towards both moderate activity and functional activity. Our article on how much exercise you need covers the full guidelines.

The good news is you don't need a gym. Your own body weight, a set of stairs and a couple of shopping bags will do.

A simple way to start

The Better Health Channel suggests a beginner's strength program of eight to ten exercises for the major muscle groups, two to three times a week, starting with one set of as few as eight repetitions and building up gradually. Warm up first with about five minutes of light activity, like walking. Here's a simple everyday version to try.

Sit to stand. Stand up from a chair without using your hands, then sit back down slowly. Try eight to ten.
Wall or bench push-ups. Hands on a wall or a sturdy bench, lower your chest towards it, then push back.
Step-ups. Step up onto the bottom stair or a low step, then down. Swap legs.
Pick it up. Bend at the hips with a straight back to lift a bag or a light box from the floor to your waist, then put it back down.
Farmer's carry. Hold a full shopping bag in each hand and walk tall for 20 to 30 metres.
Balance. Stand on one foot while you brush your teeth or wait for the kettle. Hold onto the bench if you need to.

Start easy, focus on good form and add a little more each week. Give each muscle group a day or two of rest between harder sessions. If you'd like more structure, our guide to strength training for women suits anyone starting out, and movement breaks at work shows how to sneak some of these into a desk day.

How Thrive helps you see your progress

Functional fitness is about how life feels, and Thrive helps you connect your training with the rest of your day. The Band has no screen, so you just wear it, and the Thrive by Optihealth app brings it all together.

Training programs and workouts. Browse training programs by goal and level, including general fitness, beginner and bodyweight options, log your sessions and look back at your history.
Steps and activity. See how much you move across the day, including the stairs and the walk to the shops.
Today's Load and Recovery Estimate. Today's Load shows how much activity you've done against your sleep, and Recovery Estimate shows roughly how long until you're back to your usual baseline, so you can pace your harder days.
Progressive activity load experiment. Try a seven-day experiment that lifts your daily steps a little at a time, and see what shifts.
Body composition. Take a reading by touching the metal plate on top of the Band with a finger from your other hand, and watch how your muscle trend changes over months, not days.
Check-ins. Log energy and mood, and see over a few weeks whether active days line up with better ones.
Ask Thrive. Try "Am I recovering well from my strength sessions?" or "Do I have more energy on days I train?"

Thrive also learns what is usual for you across nine areas of your health, from what the Band measures and what you log, and keeps track right across your health, including heart, HRV, sleep, temperature, stress and mood, gut health, nutrition, blood tests, medications and supplements and your medical history.

When to talk to your GP

If you're new to exercise, returning after a long break, or have a health condition, joint pain or a past injury, check in with your GP or an exercise professional before starting, as the Better Health Channel suggests. And if a movement causes sharp pain, dizziness or chest discomfort, stop and get advice. Thrive isn't a diagnosis, but you can show your Thrive trends to your GP.

Before you buy

Thrive Health Band: A$589 for the first year (Band plus 12 months of the Thrive plan), paid upfront. Prices are in AUD and include GST.

Free shipping. Your 12 months start when you activate your Band, and there's no automatic renewal.

At renewal: a new band plus 12 more months for A$589.

Or keep your band and renew the plan for A$240 a year.

Or A$29 a month with no lock-in.

One size, IP68, up to 14 days battery, 12-month warranty, not a medical device, no Apple Health sync. The app is Thrive by Optihealth on iPhone and Android.

See today's price on the Thrive store

Consumer guarantees under Australian Consumer Law always apply. See Returns if something is wrong with your purchase.

Common questions

What is functional fitness?

Training that helps with everyday movements like standing up from a chair, climbing stairs, carrying the shopping and getting up off the floor. It's built on squatting, hinging, pushing, pulling, carrying and balance.

Do I need a gym for functional fitness?

No. Body weight, a chair, a step and a couple of shopping bags are enough to start. Two or three short sessions a week is a good beginning.

How does Thrive help with functional fitness?

Thrive shows your workouts, steps, Today's Load and Recovery Estimate together, so you can build up steadily and see how your training fits with your sleep and energy.

For more answers, see Questions.