Stay Fit For Life: More than 60 Exercises to Restore Your Strength and Future-Proof Your Body

514 Pages·2017·144.26 MB·English

by  Joshue Kozak

Contents
Introduction
FUNCTIONAL FITNESS BASICS
Why train functionally?
How the body moves
How exercise helps the body
How to train effectively
How to use this book
Assess yourself
EXERCISES
Locomotion
Fast feet
Side-to-side
Side shuffle
March in place
High knee and reach
Farmer’s walk
Skaters
Step-ups
Cross-country skiers
Faux skipping
Chair mountain climber
Switch jumps
Pushing
One-arm military press
Chair dips
Inclined pushups
Curl and shoulder press and reach
Chest opener
Push press
One-arm chest press
One-leg arm raise
Jumping wall pushups
Gunslinger
Shot-put press
Pulling
Suitcase row
Lawn mower row
Staggered reverse fly
Arm pullovers
Upright external rotation
Bent row and hammer curl
Wall angel
One-arm lift
Bird dog
High plank row
Stiff-leg deadlift and shrug
Seesaw row
Curl from one leg
Rotation
Standing elbow to knee
Split stance runners
Wood chop
Knee chop
Side-to-side punch
Standing twist
Standing oblique rotation
Rotational goblet squat
Crossover toe touch
High plank reach-through and fly
Windmill
Over-the-shoulder squat
Diagonal chop
Raising and lowering
Suitcase squat
Walking reaching lunge
Reverse lunge with twist
Posterior swing
Good morning
Sumo deadlift and upright row
Hip-ups
Earthquakes
Lateral step-ups
Overhead squat
Stationary lunge and curl
Side lunge
Split squat and thruster
WORKOUT ROUTINES
Warm up
5-minute kick-start
Cardiovascular endurance
Beginner total body
Low-intensity strength
Speed and agility
Balance and stability
Total-body mobility
Cross-training
Calorie-burning HIIT
Prehabilitation
Posture improvement
Core strength
Total-body strength 1
Total-body strength 2
Lower-back strength
Upper-body strength
Lower-body strength
Low-impact aerobic
Cool down
FITNESS PROGRAMMES
Beginner
Intermediate
Advanced
About the author
Acknowledgments
Copyright
Introduction
We’re all ageing, but not necessarily at the same rate. Have
you ever wondered why one 70-year-old finds it difficult
getting out of bed in the morning, while another is running
half marathons? More often than not, it’s because the
marathon runner has kept all the parts of his or her body
moving on a daily basis. That’s what functional training is all
about – engaging all parts of your body so you can still
perform everyday activities with efficiency, no matter what
your age.
So what is your goal? Maybe you want to be able to pick up
your grandchildren with ease, start swimming again, or take
those long walks you used to enjoy. Whatever it is, the
moment you realize the direct correlation between improving
your fitness and improving your life is the moment you will
find all the motivation you need to stick to a fitness
programme. The functional training method is the key to
staying fit and active for life.
Use this book to future-proof your body with 62 step-by-step
exercises (each with modifications to meet your ability level),
20 unique workout routines, and 3 easy-to-implement, one-
month fitness programmes. Stay Fit for Life will empower you
to do more of the things you love with confidence and ease
for years to come.

Why train functionally?
By mimicking the way your body naturally moves, functional
exercise strengthens your body’s connections so you can
move with ease and confidence, and continue to do the
things you love as you age.
Prepare for daily life
Improving your body’s efficiency through functional exercise lets you perform
your daily activities more safely and substantially reduces your risk of injury as
you age.
Improved posture
Functional training restores your body to its natural, upright state by improving
flexibility in the spine, chest, and hips, while strengthening the back and
glutes.
Greater strength
Strengthening your muscle groups makes it easier to perform daily tasks with
more confidence and less pain. For example, functional training teaches your
muscles to safely and effectively lift a heavy box.
Increased stability
Training your core with full-body movements improves balance and reduces
the risk of falling. Strengthening the abdomen and back stabilizes your torso
and gives you better control of your arms and legs.
Better mobility
Functional exercises enable you to move more freely and smoothly by
increasing the range of motion of joints, improving flexibility, and helping you
perform actions such as reaching and bending.
More endurance
Dynamic movements improve both cardiovascular and muscular endurance,
which reduces your risk of developing chronic diseases, helps you control
your weight, and preserves heart and lung health.