Personal Training, Massage & Nutrition

What is Functional Training?

“Functional training typically uses compound movements, meaning you bend at multiple joints and recruit several muscle groups to achieve the movement” (National Academy of Sports Medicine)

Functional training focuses on exercises and movements that help improve your ability to perform everyday activities, by training your body to move more efficiently and effectively.  It focuses on exercises that mimic real-life movements, like bending, twisting, lifting and walking, using multiple muscle groups at once.  It trains your muscles to work together and prepares them for daily tasks by simulating common movements you might do at home, at work, or in sports.  The goal is to enhance strength and stability, flexibility and mobility, balance, coordination and endurance, all of which are vital for daily tasks, as well as improve posture, increase cardiovascular endurance and reduce the risk of injury.

Our bodies were designed to move in different ways categorised into human movement patterns. We’re made to push and pull with our upper body, hinge at the hips, bend into a squat, lunge or step up, and rotate. Incorporating functional training into your exercise routine will help keep muscles functioning as they were designed. 

Examples of functional exercises include squats (which mimic sitting down and standing up), deadlifts (which will help you pick up a heavy suitcase and put it in the boot of your car without pulling a muscle in your back), lunges (which help with walking) and kettlebell swings (which engage your hips, core and shoulders for lifting motions).

Because functional training often uses a variety of equipment, it keeps workouts interesting, versatile and most importantly fun.  This can make it easier to stay motivated compared to workouts focused on repetitive, isolated exercises. 

Sports & remedial massage therapist

Paul McArdle has over 15 years’ experience as a Sports and Remedial Massage Therapist, having trained at the highly respected Western School of Massage.   Paul also offers other massage services, including Swedish Massage, Hot Stones Treatment and Kinesiology Taping.

Paul incorporates a variety of techniques in his approach to sports massage, including deep tissue work, stretching and myofascial release, helping his clients’ address muscle tightness, soreness and tension from intense physical activity.  His specialities include pre-event massage (to prepare muscles for exercise or competition), post-event massage (to reduce muscle soreness and aid recovery after a sporting event) and maintenance massage (to keep muscles flexible and reduce the risk of injury).

Paul’s approach to remedial massage involves a combination of deep tissue techniques, trigger point therapy and stretching, which is targeted at treating and correcting specific physical issues including chronic pain, injuries or postural problems.  Paul has numerous success stories of helping clients recover from long-term conditions and rehabilitate from hip, knee and shoulder operations.