7 Everyday Exercises to do at Home by Megann Hudson, M.S.

Functional Fitness: What Makes it Special?
Over a lifetime weak structural movement patterns while performing everyday activities will lead to back pain, neck soreness and tightness, knee damage, and other signs of increased wear and tear. These weak movement patterns also create general levels of fatigue and soreness.

Through neuromuscular training we can teach the body how to move more efficiently, and strengthen the muscles needed to do so; thereby, correcting painful movement patterns, preventing future injury, and improving performance in everyday activities. This is the foundation of our Functional Fitness program.  It focuses on exercises that improve posture, structural integrity, balance, muscular strength, agility, and consciousness of how to move in a way that is best for your body.

The strength of our Functional Fitness program lies in its broad applicability.  The exercises do not discriminate by age and are critical whether you are healthy or in pain, fit or trying to regain lost ground.  Its true beauty is the application of exercise as preventive, rehabilitative, and adaptive, depending on personal needs.

We have come up with seven exercises you can do at home every day to increase strength, mobility, and power while decreasing pain and soreness from a lifetime of weak movement patterns.

Each exercise can be simplified or progressed, thus becoming the backbone of more complex moves. Taking you back to proper biomechanics and how your body was intended to move, each exercise always builds on the basics.

7 Everyday Exercises:
Farmer’s Stretch
Hip Hikers
Back Extensions
Lateral Side Bends
Sit to Stand
Hamstring Sliders
Hip Bridges
A video of these exercises can be found at http://hudsonintegrative.com/ilive/functional-fitness-program

Some of the known benefits to exercising regularly are:
Increased energy and vitality
Improved quality of sleep
Increased overall mobility and stability
Lower risk of most common chronic conditions
Elevated mood and mental performance
Reduced stress and tension