What is meant by 'functional training'?

Functional training refers to exercises designed to simulate real-life activities and improve an individual's ability to perform everyday tasks. This training method focuses on movements that enhance strength, balance, coordination, and flexibility through exercises that engage multiple muscle groups. By mimicking everyday actions—such as lifting, bending, squatting, and reaching—functional training helps individuals develop the physical capacity necessary for daily life, making it particularly beneficial for people of all ages and fitness levels.

In contrast, the other options focus on narrower aspects of fitness. Solely emphasizing strength building limits the benefits of movement patterns that people encounter in their day-to-day activities. Training focused only on cardiovascular endurance neglects the multidimensional nature of physical fitness. Meanwhile, workouts designed exclusively for competitive athletes target specific performance improvement in a sport, rather than the broad applicability of functional exercises for general population needs.