I don’t consider myself an “amazing” or “exceptional” woman. That’s why I’m always taken aback when people say I am. It’s taken time for me to simply say “Thank you” instead of disagreeing.
A neighbor recently told me she marvels at my ability to work on home improvement projects with my husband. She couldn’t imagine herself “lugging around” lumber or “lifting” full five-gallon paint buckets. She gestured emphatically — as if swatting away obnoxious flies — at the idea of holding a beam overhead while it’s being secured into place.
The Fun of Functional Fitness
Since I was a kid, I’ve loved building, painting, and repairing things. I constructed bird houses. Dad let me fully disassemble my bike…and put it all back together without anything leftover! Fast forward to present day. I battle crab grass, lay pavers, paint the walls of houses and brick fences, and help the hubby with plumbing, electrical, and concrete projects. Mixing a sixty-pound bag of concrete in a wheelbarrow gives my arms a great workout!
I’m able to do labor like that because I strength train. To me, it’s FUN to do that effort, to feel the ability and potential of my body. It’s FUN to see the results of this work and home improvement projects. This is what “functional fitness” is all about!
I feel so much stronger right now than I did eight years ago when I started on my fitness journey. If I devoted more time and effort into strength training, I bet I would become A LOT stronger than I was in my twenties.
My Goal with Functional Fitness
But simply getting stronger isn’t my primary goal. Staying mobile, agile, and capable of independent living is!
- Lifting and carrying bags of groceries
- Safely stepping into the shower or off a curb
- Taking stairs to an upper floor
- Rearranging furniture
- Walking from a distant parking spot to a sports venue
- Scrubbing stubborn stains off floors while on the floor
- Vacuuming floors with a hard-to-manage self-propelled machine
- Reaching for near-top shelf kitchen gadgets or tools
- And much more
Remembering Your Why
Maybe you’ll never want to paint a house yourself. That’s okay. But what would you like to do? Travel to Europe for a walking tour of castles, villages, or art museums? Bicycle down to the corner store and back? Keep up with the grand kids?
Write that reason down, and post it where you’ll see it repeatedly.
Then work with a physical therapist or certified personal trainer to create a functional fitness program designed with your reason (or goal) in mind.
Who knows how much fun you’ll enjoy fast walking, bicycling or painting a house!
This post from Aug. 8, 2017 edited and updated including new feature image on Sept. 5, 2023.