Functional fitness provides a real-life workout

Think about your life -- your career, your family, your sports, the activities you take part in every day. Those are some of the things that personal trainers take into account when creating a functional fitness workout routine.

A functional fitness routine is one that is tailored specifically to a person's needs. For instance, if you work in construction, your trainer may focus on your leg and arm strength to make climbing ladders easier -- and may even incorporate that ladder into your workout. Commuters may find themselves doing sprints (to catch that plane or train) or using their suitcase as a workout tool. Mom's may find themselves hoisting strollers to prevent back injuries from hauling so much gear. Functional fitness is all about making the body stronger in a more "real-life" way.

Don't think about functional fitness just in terms of work, however. Surfers and snowboarders may get a workout that improves their balance, tennis players may work on their core muscles to improve their swing. That's Fit blogger Fitz K. recently wrote about the BOSU; this workout tool, and others including balance balls, are popular in functional fitness routines. Functional fitness also can focus on "prehab" or working out weak areas to prevent injuries from happening at work or at play.

Want to read more? WebMD tells you how to look out for your own functional fitness.