Functional fitness is for every Veteran

This Veterans Day, November 11, Veterans and supporters across the nation will gather in gyms and at home to complete the Armistice WOD (workout of the day) as part of Team Red, White and Blue’s WOD for Warriors event. The workout showcases functional fitness and the importance of everyday activities in exercise routines.

While some may think of a bodybuilder flipping a giant tire like a pancake when they hear “functional fitness,” the term actually refers to movements we do every day, including carrying groceries, walking up stairs and even vacuuming.

Functional fitness exercises are movements that mimic everyday activities and strengthen those muscles to improve overall health and wellness in our daily lives. Functional fitness workouts can improve the way your body functions during daily activities, and may also reduce risk of injury, improve balance and coordination, and build strength.

The WOD includes six rounds of exercises to represent the branches of our nation’s military—Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and Space Force. Repetitions in sets of 11, 19, and 18 for each exercise marks the end of World War I on 11/11/1918, and a 2-minute rest and reflection in between sets represents the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, where honors are rendered each year to remember those we lost at 11 a.m. on November 11.

Functional fitness is scalable, just like any workout regimen. The movements below, included in the Armistice WOD, can be adjusted for low impact, lower weight, or no equipment at all. Start where you are.

• Mountain Climbers are a great cardio movement that also builds total core strength.
• Power Cleans are explosive movements that work the posterior chain, core, and entire lower body.
• Hand Release Push Ups build upper body strength, including triceps, chest, and elbow joint health.
• Box Jump Burpees are a plyometric, full-body, compound exercise improving cardiovascular fitness, as well as building overall strength and coordination.
• Running has many physical benefits, such as building muscle, increasing bone density, and cardiovascular health, but it also boosts mental health by reducing stress and improving mood.

Team RWB invites you to honor our nation’s Veterans with WOD for Warriors. Find an event near you and register at www.teamrwb.org/w4w or through the Team RWB App.