Functional training is a rehabilitation technique. It focuses on restoring the strength and proper function of the musculoskeletal system with the goal of making it easier for patients to perform their everyday activities. Functional training is meant to improve the activities of daily living (sometimes referred to as ADL). ADL can range from personal care activities, like showering or dressing, to housekeeping or home maintenance activities, like cleaning, putting dishes away, or doing yard work, to activities you need to do for work. ADL varies” from person to person.
While everyone has to do some of the same basic things, like getting out of bed and getting dressed, most of us have our own routines and responsibilities. And for that reason, the activities of daily living for you will not be the same as they are for your next-door neighbor, your best friend, or your coworker. Functional training, therefore, is different for everyone.