TRAINNING THAT TONE EVERYTHING

These fitness moves that work several muscles at once will trump leg day
Functional fitness may sound like a catchy new type of workout, but once you understand its purpose (and its benefits) you'll be hooked. Just as the name suggests, functional exercises used in a functional fitness routine try to mimic more "real world," everyday activities, using multiple muscle groups and joints at the same time to give you a killer full-body workout.

Think of it as a fitness routine where you'll get much more bang for your buck. After even one session, you'll start to improve endurance, balance, posture, strength, coordination and agility from head to toe. Here are 10 of our favorite functional exercises to get you started:
1. Medicine ball squat with overhead lift
Functionality: Even though you lift your kids and groceries with your arms, your legs and back are also key players. This exercise strengthens your legs, glutes, lower back, arms and shoulders.
2. Stair climb with bicep curl
Functionality: Whether you have stairs at your house or have to climb them elsewhere, using stairs as part of your fitness program will keep your legs conditioned and toned. Partnering stair climbs with bicep curls will strengthen your arms and improve your ability to carry things up the stairs. This exercise will also boost your cardiovascular fitness.
3. Hip extension with reverse fly
Functionality: This exercise improves your balance and coordination as well as strengthens your upper, mid and lower back, shoulders, glutes and legs.
4. Diagonal reach with medicine ball
Functionality: When you reach for your boots on the top shelf of your closet, pay attention to how your body moves - one arm reaches up while the opposite leg slightly lifts to the side. This exercise works all the muscles - arms, shoulders, legs - involved in lifting something diagonally overhead as well as lowering it.
5. Lunge with back row
Functionality: This exercise will improve your posture by strengthening the muscles in your upper and mid back, shoulders and arms while also toning and strengthening your legs and improving your hip flexibility.
6. Knee lift with lateral raise
Functionality: This exercise improves your core strength and balance as well as strengthens and tones your shoulders.
7. Push-up with hip extension
Functionality: This exercise strengthens your chest, shoulder and arm muscles (primarily triceps) as well as your core muscles and glutes.
8. Torso rotation with medicine ball
Functionality: Strong oblique muscles are key to avoiding lower back injuries. This exercise improves the strength and coordination of all your core muscles and will improve your tone and tighten your waist.
9. Supine bridge with arm extension
Functionality: This exercise tones and strengthens your arms, shoulders, back, glutes and legs as well as targets your core muscles. It also opens up your chest and the front of your hips (muscles that get tight with long hours of sitting and using the computer).
10. Dynamic prone plank
Functionality: This dynamic exercise tones, lengthens and strengthens just about every muscle in your body. Though it is challenging, it's a perfect exercise to end with.