Blog

When I was studying the materials for my ACE Group Fitness Certification Exam something really crossed my mind. And that was the phrase: ’Activities of Daily Living’. According to the ACE IFT Model, there are 5 primary movement patterns that we use as a part of our activities of daily living.

That’s why it is important to include exercises in your workout routine that mimic these 5 primary movement patterns.

In this post, I will talk about 5 exercises that you must start doing right now.

These exercises will not only mimic the 5 important movement patterns of daily living, but they are also great for maintaining a fit body.

The most important thing is that these exercises will establish your functional strength and you don’t need any equipment so you easily can do them at home.

I would recommend you include them 2-3 times a week. If you are starting out you will benefit from 2 SETS OF 8-10 REPETITIONS from each exercise.

As an ACE Certified Professional, your safety is extremely important to me. If you have or have had any health issues, operations, or injuries it is especially important to consult with your doctor and make sure all of these exercises are safe for you to do.

Note: This post includes affiliate links. This means we will earn a small commission if you purchase through these links, with no charge to you. Thanks for supporting the website. For further information, please read our affiliate disclaimer here.

If it is safe, then let’s get moving 😊

1.SQUAT-Bend and lift

The first one of the 5 primary exercises that you must start doing is the bend and lift. This movement allows you to squat down and pick up an object off the floor or sit down on a chair. You have to perform a squat to be able to do this movement pattern. The SQUAT is a very important exercise that you should involve in your workout routine.

It is also significant to do it right. First, concentrate on hinging at your hips before bending your knees. Squatting should give the same feeling for you when you are sitting down on a chair. Make sure your feet are stable and your heels are in contact with the ground.

I was struggling to find a video that demonstrates this exercise perfectly by emphasizing the common mistakes, but I think Jeremy Either does a good job on his video.

Apart from raising your heels, using a chair could be a good idea as well if you are just starting out with this exercise. I would recommend 2 sets of 10 repetitions to improve strength in the beginning and as you get stronger you can do 3-4 sets.

Make sure that after the first set – 8 reps each side – you take a 30 to 60 seconds break.

2. Lunge – Single leg movement

Single leg movement is the second primary movement pattern that allows you to walk and climb. This movement pattern enables you to be able to go on the stairs.

LUNGE is great and probably the MOST POPULAR exercise to enhance this activity of daily living.

In the case of this exercise doing it with the right posture could also be challenging. But the next video does a great job of demonstrating it.

As far as the number of repetitions and the sets concerned if you want to BUILD STRENGTH and you are JUST starting out you could benefit from doing 2 sets of 10 repetitions each side. Make sure that after the first set – 8 reps each side – you take a 30 to 60 seconds break.

As you are improving your strength you can increase the number of sets to three and four.

3.Push Up – Upper-body pushing movements

The previous two routines were great for the lower-body, but let’s continue with a couple of upper-body movements.

First and foremost I have to talk about the upper-body pushing movement which is very important for such daily activities like pushing yourself away from the bed to get up or pushing open a door.

DOING PUSH UPS is one of the greatest ways to mimic this important movement pattern. Push-ups are also great for weight-loss purposes since it is a multijoint exercise that stimulates the pectorals and the core muscles.

For this exercise, it is very important to pay attention to the correct set-up.

The next video takes all the important notes into consideration.

2 SETS OF 8-10 REPETITIONS SHOULD BE A GREAT START!

Take a 30 to 60-second break between the sets.

4. Dumbbell row – Upper-body pulling movements

Being able to mimic upper-body pulling movements such as opening a car door or vacuuming is as important as the upper-body pushing movements.

The rows are the most popular exercises that mimic the upper-body pulling movement pattern.

In this case, I would like to emphasize the DUMBBELL ROW, because it is great for the muscles of your upper back and you only need a pair of dumbbells to do it.

Watch the next video to get to know the right technique for this exercise.

If you are just starting out I have the following notes for you:

• A pair of 5 pounds dumbbells could be a great choice.
• 2 sets of 8-10 repetitions each side should be beneficial in the beginning.
• After the first set (10 repetitions each side) take a 30 seconds break
• Then do the second set which is 8 repetitions each side

5.Dumbbell Woodchop- Rotational Movements

The last one of the 5 primary exercises you must start doing is the DUMBBELL WOODCHOP. This routine will enable you to mimic the daily rotational movements.

You can be performing rotational movements several times a day, for example when

• you are turning around because you hear your name from the back
• you are trying to reach your seat-belt to buckle it
• you are gardening

Being able to perform these rotational movements for longevity is crucial. Dumbbell Woodchop is a great basic example of those exercise routines that mimic this pattern.

You can see people doing this exercise with all sorts of equipment, such as medicine ball, straps, and you can also use your dumbbell as Kai Simon does in the next video.

You can do 3 sets of 8 repetitions each side with 30 to 60 seconds break between the sets.

So these are the 5 exercises you must start doing right now 2-3 times a week for global health and functionality.

Don’t forget to use a good quality of mat for exercising if you don’t already have one. For this purpose check out the link of the workout mat I personally recommend here below:

Shop the Manduka PRO Yoga Mat at Manduka.com!

ENJOY YOUR WORKOUT,

Eszter

Did you find this post helpful? Save this PIN BELOW to your Health and Fitness board on Pinterest!