Functional Fitness And Nutrition

You don’t have to be a gym regular or marathon runner to stay fit. Functional fitness prepares your body for everyday activities, like when you walk the dog, stand from a chair or play with grandkids. When you pair practical movement with smart nutrition, you create a powerful foundation for long-term health.

“Functional fitness is about keeping people active, safe and strong,” said Kyle Meyer, DO, CAQSM, with Franciscan Physician Network Orthopedics & Podiatry Munster in northwest Indiana. “We train for life, not just a workout.”

Key Takeaways: Functional Fitness And Nutrition

• Stepping on a scale, provides an incomplete picture of health, and athletes should instead focus on a comprehensive "health dashboard" of internal markers.
• Essential nutrient levels such as iron, ferritin and vitamin D3 should be monitored regularly to prevent fatigue and support muscle recovery and bone health.
• Body Mass Index is increasingly viewed as an outdated measurement because it fails to distinguish between muscle mass and body fat. Waist-to-hip ratio has been shown to be a better predictor of future health issues.
• Monitoring lifestyle data like sleep quality and stress levels is just as important as tracking physical performance for maintaining long-term vitality.

What Is Functional Fitness?

Functional fitness focuses on movements that support daily life. Instead of working one muscle at a time, it builds balance, strength, coordination and flexibility together.

“Think about movements like when you squat, step, reach or lift. You use these skills every day,” Dr. Meyer said. “If you work on balance, strength and mobility, you’re less likely to fall, and if you do fall, you’re more likely to recover well.”

Dr. Meyer recommends these common exercises:

• Core work to stabilize your spine
• Examples would be bird-dogs, glute bridges, planks, side planks.
• Online or in-person Pilates classes are also quite helpful with core strengthening
• I recommend avoiding sit-ups, particularly for patients with back/neck issues
• Flexibility exercises. Beginner level yoga courses (either on-line or in person) can be a great resource for total body flexibility.
• Lunges to simulate going up stairs
• Squats that mimic standing from a chair
• For patients with knee issues, squats and lunges can be painful.
• For those patients, I like quad sets, straight leg raises, and mini-squats (0-45 degrees) for quad strength
• Glute Bridges, glute kickbacks, clamshells and side lying leg lifts help with glute strengthening.
• Step-ups, pushing, pulling and carrying exercises
• Resistance training can significantly reduce the risk of osteoporosis and associated low energy fractures.

When Can You Start Functional Fitness?

For adults, this kind of training prevents injury, builds strength and supports independence at any age.

For children, the answer is a bit more complex. Toddlers should be (and generally want to be) physically active throughout the day. Aim for at least 3 hours of physical activity per day. Activities can be unstructured (free play, playing outdoors) and structured (games/sports). Also, limit screen time as much as possible, preferably to less than 1 hour per day.

As children grow older (6-17) and schedules become busier, more of an effort needs to be made, to get adequate exercise. A minimum of 60 minutes of physical activity per day should be the goal. Again, these activities do not need to be structured or expensive. Walking, running, playing tag, riding bikes, kicking around the soccer ball, pick-up basketball, will accomplish this.

“I like to call it practical fitness,” Dr. Meyer said.

What Is The Best Kind Of Workout Program?

“The best program is the one you enjoy and will stick with,” Dr. Meyer said. “It should fit your lifestyle, feel doable and bring you energy.”

If you dread it, you probably won’t do it. “Most people will not do a workout program if they don’t genuinely enjoy it, so I think it’s absolutely imperative to find one that you look forward to,” Dr. Meyer said.

Consistency matters more than intensity. Even short, regular workouts make a difference.

What Are The Benefits Of Functional Fitness?

The biggest payoff? A better quality of life.

“In the U.S., we have a pandemic of obesity rates, hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, cancer and heart attacks,” said Dr. Meyer. “To reverse this, people need to take action, but consistency is often the hardest part.”

Exercise also supports mental health.

“Studies show that movement can mimic a low-dose antidepressant,” Dr. Meyer said. “It helps relieve anxiety and depression.”

Strength training and nutrition also protect against serious setbacks like hip fractures.

“A fall that leads to a hip fracture can trigger a dangerous spiral,” Dr. Meyer said. “Many older adults never fully recover and may require long-term care. Anecdotally, my own grandmother fractured her hip at 92 years old. She had been fit and active for as long as I can remember. Now 94 years old, she was able to recover from her hip replacement and return to her previous level of activity.”

Functional fitness helps:

• Build strength, balance and endurance
• Delay the need for long-term care
• Improve or even reverse chronic conditions like diabetes or high blood pressure
• Prevent falls and fractures
• Support mental health and emotional well-being

What Are Functional Foods?

Functional foods go beyond filling you up. These whole, nutrient-rich foods support your body’s natural systems, everything from digestion and immunity to brain health.

“Think of functional foods as the opposite of processed snacks,” Dr. Meyer said. “They’re fresh, simple and packed with benefits.”

Examples of functional foods include:

• Protein sources like eggs, chicken and salmon
• High-fiber vegetables like spinach, broccoli, asparagus and peppers
• Fruits such as berries, apples and tomatoes
• Healthy fats from avocados, olive oil, nuts and seeds
• Complex carbs like quinoa, oats, squash and sweet potatoes
• For women, in particular, adequate consumption of calcium and vitamin D is extremely important in preventing osteoporosis. Orange juice fortified with calcium and vitamin D has been shown to improve bone strength. If you are diabetic, calcium/Vitamin D fortified grapefruit juice tends to have less sugar.

These foods support heart health, reduce inflammation, lower cholesterol and help with blood sugar control.

“If a food has a long ingredient list or chemicals you can’t pronounce, it’s not a good choice,” Dr. Meyer added. “Aim for whole foods or options with five ingredients or fewer.”

Fad and crash diets are almost never a good idea. They are usually quite difficult to stick with, and some can be dangerous.

If you are interested in a specific diet, I generally recommend the Mediterranean Diet, due to its proven benefits for heart health, wide array of good tasting/easy to find foods, and its accessibility with a variety of cookbooks and online recipes available.

Why Functional Foods Matter

Functional foods are more than fuel; they support every system in the body. These nutrient-dense whole foods help:

• Aid digestion
• Boost immune function
• Improve energy, mood and sleep
• Manage blood sugar and weight
• Prevent disease
• Support brain and heart health

Choosing the right foods isn’t about restriction; it’s about fueling your body to feel and function better every day.

What Happens When We Prioritize Healthy Eating?

Dr. Meyer has seen patients completely change their health by eating better and moving more. She’s seen:

• Better mobility and independence
• Improved mood and relationships
• Increased stamina and strength
• Reduced pain and inflammation
• Reversal of chronic conditions like type 2 diabetes

“When people start to feel better physically, it spills into every part of their life,” Dr. Meyer said. “They move more, they smile more. They show up differently, for themselves and for others.”

How Does Eating Out Affect Healthy Choices?

Eating out is quick and convenient, especially with busy schedules. But it often comes with high-calorie meals, fried foods and poor-quality oils.

“It helps to set a limit, like go out to eat just twice a week,” Dr. Meyer said. One patient who relied on fast food for most meals turned her health and finances around by fixing meals at home.

How can you make better choices? Dr. Meyer recommends you choose baked, grilled or broiled dishes, order lunch portions to reduce calories and cost, and pick meals with a protein, a veggie and a complex carb.

Movement Looks Different For Everyone

Whether you’re 3 or 103, you can benefit from functional fitness.

“Even something simple like standing up from a chair ten times without your hands is a great place to start,” Dr. Meyer said. “It builds leg strength, core stability and confidence.”

Ready to move better, feel stronger and eat smarter? Franciscan Health offers sports medicine, wellness, nutrition and therapy services to help you build strength and prevent disease.

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