Reset Fitness

Is functional training safe?

This is a great question to address, and we’re happy to say yes, it is (though there is, of course, a caveat to that, which we’ll explain later). In fact, a study reported by the University of Bath found that the risk of injury from sports and exercise in general is very small, with fitness classes among the lowest risk forms of sports/exercising, leading to just 0.10 injuries per 100000 participants/year.

 

And in the context of fitness classes, functional training, which focuses on exercising multiple muscles groups simultaneously, can prove even more low risk. Injuries tend to occur from overexercising one muscle or area too much, for example, focusing only on working arms or even biceps for an entire session. This can lead to muscle strains or sprains.

 

At Reset Fitness, our functional workouts are designed to exercise the whole body each session, and sequentially work and rest muscles groups to avoid overusing any muscle or area. Our workouts also include a warm up and cool down, with the former helping to gradually elevate the heart rate and loosen muscles, while the latter helps with steadily lowering the heart rate after working out. Both help to reduce the risk of injury.

 

But now, here’s that caveat we mentioned, if functional training exercises aren’t performed correctly, with poor form or technique, then there will be a risk of injury. However, with our TV-led, Coach-assisted format, our Coaches can focus on working with members demonstrating and guiding them on how to perform the exercises safely and correctly. Additionally, our Coaches can step in if they feel a member is overextending themselves, advising them to slow their pace or reduce the weight they are using.

 

An additional benefit to functional training is that since it mirrors movements used in everyday life – lifting, squatting, pulling, pushing – as you strengthen your body through our workouts and learn the proper technique for performing these movements you are less likely to injure yourself in your daily life too!