Reasons for adhering to functional training among regular practitioners of this modality

Abstract

Functional training can be understood as a type of physical exercise that develops the bodily functions of movement in a balanced way, that is, it means training with a purpose, whether to improve motor actions applied to everyday life: such as running, squatting, pulling, etc., or even with regard to sports performance. The question that guides this study is: what are the reasons for adherence to functional training among regular practitioners of this type of physical exercise, whose objectives are to understand the main reasons that encourage people to practice functional training; and compare the reasons for it between age groups. For that, an explanatory research was carried out. In this sense, 187 Training Centers (TC) were selected in the municipality of Vila Velha in Espírito Santo, the selection and choice criterion was based on the following procedures: selection of spaces registered on the website of the Federal Council of Physical Education (CONFEF); choice of those who had the term Center or functional designation, reaching 45 results. Then, contact was made by telephone and 18 agreed to participate in the study, being sent a structured questionnaire applied in person. The results indicate that the age group that stands out in the research looking for training is 50 years old or more, predominantly women, who have been practicing physical exercises in an oriented way for more than 6 years. It was also found that the interviewees usually practice other types of activity, such as weight training in their vast majority, but aerobic activities and sports are also highlighted. The reasons that lead these people to adhere to the practice are varied, with the improvement of quality of life and health promotion being the main reason addressed by the interviewees. On top of that, it was found that there are many benefits pointed out by practitioners, such as increased disposition, decreased body fat, significant reduction in pain, among others. Finally, the survey shows that 100% of respondents recommend or would recommend functional training to non-practitioners, a fact that allows us to say that the program can be effective for all types of audiences, to differentiate their objectives.