MUSCLEBLAZE

Hello Ziddis! In a world where fitness trends come and go, functional training has had the most impact. It started as a fad, but now goes beyond aesthetic. It is not just about lifting heavier or getting six-pack abs also including movement in your everyday life. Whether you are cleaning your home, picking up your child, carrying groceries or climbing stairs, as you age, your muscle efficiency to carry out these mundane tasks also reduces. Functional training prepares your body to keep doing daily chores more efficiently.

What is Functional Training?

Functional training is a form of exercise that replicates your daily chores and trains your body to perform daily tasks more actively. Its based exercises are often a reflection of real-life actions like bending, twisting, lifting, pushing, and so on, which use multiple muscle groups at once.

Instead of isolating a single muscle like we do in strength training, functional training focuses on compound movements, coordination, core stability and mobility.

Benefits of Functional Training

Functional training goes beyond gym results. It is supposed to build a strong foundation for everyday activities and prevent injuries. Here is why it is a game changer for all:

• Improves your posture and balance
• Enhances your core strength and stability
• Improves your mobility, range of motion and joint flexibility
• Reduces the risk of injuries
• Increases muscular endurance
• Burns more calories through compound movements
• Boosts coordination and neuromuscular control

Functional Training for Beginners

If you are just starting, then know that this is the best regime for beginners. Functional training is extremely feasible and does not require investing in expensive gym memberships or equipment or fancy gear. Just your trusted shaker bottle and your favourite comfy pair of joggers are good enough to get you started. You can start slow and focus on movement over intensity.

• Start with bodyweight squats, lunges and push-ups
• Include planks and glute bridges to build core strength
• Keep your workouts short and focused. 20 to 30 minutes each day is good enough
• Take the stairs for a warmup
• Do not skip warm-up and cool-down exercises
• If you want to add weight, take 1 or 2-litre bottles

Functional workout is a smart way to get started and make the most of what you have before you commit.

Read Also: Strength Training vs. Cardio: What’s the Best Ratio for Fat Loss?

Functional Training Exercises

Functional training exercises are not complex. They are so simple, you can do most of them in one session. So, mindfully stacking up your exercises could be a great idea. Here are some exercises you can include in your routine:

Exercise	Benefits	Recommended Reps
Squats	Strengthens legs, glutes, and core	12–15 reps × 3 sets
Lunges	Improves balance and unilateral strength	10–12 reps per leg × 3 sets
Push-ups	Great for chest, shoulders, and triceps	10–15 reps × 3 sets
Planks	Builds a strong, stable core	Hold for 30–60 seconds × 3 sets
Deadlifts	Excellent for posterior chain strength	5–10 reps × 3 sets
Kettlebell Swings	Builds power and endurance	15–20 reps × 3 sets
Farmer’s Carry	Builds grip strength, core, and stability	30–60 seconds walk × 3 sets

Takeaway

Functional training is about building your body’s ability to carry out tasks that require moderate strength. It challenges your body in natural ways by helping you become more resilient and agile. If you have just had the realization to take steps for your health and fitness, this regime deserves your attention. It isn’t just a workout style, it’s a way to train for life. Start simple, stay consistent, and your future self will thank you.

Hello Ziddis! Do you know your gut is the biggest part of your health journey? Gut feeling is very literally what your body wants to communicate to you. It is more than just a digestive powerhouse. It is the command centre for your immunity, mood and metabolism. When your gut is happy and healthy, it can also make your body feel great. But when it does not feel great, that will show in your body, mind and skin, including your energy levels, immune system and how your body absorbs nutrients. Let us understand how our gut health habits can help us be the best version of ourselves.

Gut Health Habits

To understand how to keep your gut healthy, we need to understand some daily habits that lay the foundation for a healthy gut. Here is what you need to do:

• Stay hydrated: Water helps move food through the digestive system and supports the lining of our intestines.
• Quality sleep: When you sleep well, it will nurture your gut bacteria. Getting 7 to 9 hours of sleep at night will help you support your gut health.
• Manage your stress levels: Stress can mess up your gut health by disrupting your gut microbiome and increasing inflammation. Yoga, walking and breathing exercises can calm you down.
• Chew your food properly: This helps you digest your food well and avoids burdening your gut or lead to bloating.
• Be consistent with your meal: When you eat and how you eat are important for healthy digestion and nutrient absorption

Gut Health Diet Plan

If you want to keep your gut healthy and happy, you must have a gut-friendly diet. It is not about just restrictions, it is about balance. Your gut bacteria thrive when you fuel them with the right food and nutrients. Here is what you need in your gut health diet plan:

• Fibre-rich foods like whole grains, fruits, legumes and vegetables feed the good bacteria and make them perform their function well.
• Healthy fats like avocados, nuts, olive oil and ghee help you regulate inflammation in your gut and protect it.
• Lean proteins like chicken, fish, tofu, eggs and sometimes some healthy dairy like curd and yoghurt are essential for repairing the gut lining and supporting your immune system.
• Prebiotics are fibres that act as fuel for probiotics, aka good bacteria. Foods like garlic, onion, bananas and oats are great for that.
• Reduce ultra-processed foods and added sugars because they can feed the harmful bacteria and contribute to gut imbalance.

Fermented Foods for Gut Health

Fermented foods are amazing allies for your digestive system, and they can naturally contain probiotics that help populate your gut with beneficial bacteria. Here are some fermented foods to add to your diet plan:

• Yoghurt: Either one with live active cultures, Greek yoghurt or just simple unsweetened yoghurt is a great addition to your meals as a side.
• Curd: It is soothing and probiotic-rich, which is a staple in Indian homes.
• Idlis and dosas: The batter for dosa and idlis is naturally fermented and provides gut-friendly cultures.
• Kombucha: It is a fermented tea that is tangy and effervescent, though it should be consumed in moderation because it has a lot of sugars added in its preparation.
• Kimchi and sauerkraut: It is a spicy or sour side which is fermented veggies. It packs a probiotic punch.
• Moringa or spirulina: This superfood is great for extra antioxidant support.

Aim for at least one of these options in your daily food intake to keep your gut flora thriving.

Gut Health Smoothies

Smoothies are a tasty way to help your gut with the nourishment it needs. They are great for busy mornings and post-workout recovery sessions. Let us help you out with some gut-friendly smoothie base ideas

• Greek yoghurt for protein and probiotics
• Curd is easy to get and budget-friendly.
• Banana for prebiotic fibres
• Oats to support regular bowel movements
• Spinach or kale for fibre and antioxidants
• Chia or flaxseeds for omega-3s and gut-healing mucilage

Tip: You can add some creatine to make it a good pre- or post-workout meal.

Signs of a Bad Gut Health

You can see signs without any tests, too, to understand if your gut health is wobbly. Here’s what to check for:

• Frequent fatigue
• Lethargy
• Brittle hair and nails
• Face skin breakouts and acne
• Sugar cravings and frequent hunger
• Bad digestion
• Frequent stomach aches
• Falling sick often

Read Also: How Does Your Gut Health Impact Your Muscle Strength?

Takeaway

A happy gut is healthier. Small habits like staying hydrated, adding electrolytes to your drinks, having fermented or fibrous foods and sipping on gut-friendly drinks and smoothies. Take care of your sleep cycle, food habits and mental health for good gut health, and a good gut will always protect you. Here’s to healing your gut, one delicious meal and mindful habit at a time.

Hello Ziddis! These days, we hear everywhere how important protein intake is for us. Whether it is social media or your gym trainer, everyone chants the charms that protein will work for you. But are you eating enough protein? While workouts like strength training and cardio each have their place, protein is the thread that ties them together. Without protein, your muscles would stay weak, your body wouldn’t recover, and you would not be able to perform at your best. So let’s talk about protein today and how to tell if you are getting enough protein.

Why Do We Need Protein?

Protein is the building block of your muscles. It is the foundation of fitness that pushes you to perform and helps you to recover. Here is why protein is irreplaceably needed:

• It repairs and rebuilds muscle tissue post a workout session
• It supports your immune function and hormone production
• It keeps you feeling full and helps you manage your weight while curbing your cravings
• It maintains skin, hair and nail texture
• It helps in the production of necessary enzymes and hormones.

Whether your health goal is to lose weight through cardio or gain muscle through strength training, your body needs protein to sustain the benefits of your workouts.

How Much Protein Do I Need?

Your protein needs depend on your lifestyle, workout intensity, health goals and most importantly, your body weight.

Lifestyle	Protein Requirement
Sedentary	0.8 g/kg body weight
Active (cardio-based)	1.2 – 1.6 g/kg
Strength training	1.6 – 2.2 g/kg
Fat loss (preserve muscle)	2.0 – 2.5 g/kg

Assuming you weigh 70 kgs and you do strength training 3 to 4 times a week, your body roughly needs you to consume 120 to 150 grams of protein per day.

Why Does Protein Deficiency Happen?

Most of our food has high amounts of carbs in it, and protein is often neglected. Some common causes of people having protein deficiency are:

• Skipping meals
• Following calorie-deficient diet plans
• Relying on low-protein convenience foods
• Vegetarian or vegan diets, which may lack whole protein sources
• Overdoing cardio with not enough nutritional support

With a busy schedule, it is not easy to pay attention to your daily requirements, which is a bigger part of the problem.

Signs of Protein Deficiency

How would you know that you have a protein deficiency? There will be signs! Here’s what to look out for:

• Easily getting tired or fatigued after working out
• Experiencing muscle soreness for a long period
• Hair thinning, brittle nails or dry skin
• Feeling hungry frequently
• Intense cravings
• Poor immunity causes you to fall sick often
• Loss of muscle tone even when you are working out regularly.

If you are doing cardio and still not toning up or doing strength training, but still not seeing any gains, protein is the missing piece to solve this mystery.

Protein Intake Calculator

To understand how much protein your body needs, take a look at the protein intake calculator. It takes into account if you have an active lifestyle involving strength training.

• 1 gram per kg of your body weight if you have a sedentary lifestyle
• 2 grams per kg of your bodyweight if you have an active lifestyle involving strength training.

If you use tools to calculate your daily protein intake, you will get a precise number, which will make it easy for you to understand how much you are currently having versus how much you need. But this doesn’t just stop at that point, you must also track how much protein you get every day. Use a fitness app to see how close you’re getting.

Tips to Boost Your Protein Intake

To make your protein game stronger, here’s what you can do:

• Start your day with a protein-rich breakfast like eggs, Greek yoghurt or a protein smoothie.
• Add sprouts and legumes to your salad
• Tofu, paneer and chicken for meals help you get closer to your protein intake goals.
• Keep protein bars handy for a quick snack
• Loads of fit foods by MuscleBlaze have a good amount of nutrients and proteins, have those for your snacking and cravings
• Post-workout, have a protein shake to help your muscles recover faster.
• Mix proteins with carbs and healthy fats to improve absorption and satiety.

Read Also: Are You Overestimating Your Protein Intake? How to Calculate It Accurately

Takeaway

It is easy to obsess over your fitness goals, but what can drive you towards them is not just your workout but also your nutrition. Your protein intake is your pass to the fitness highway. It helps you recover, rebuild and grow. So, start adding more protein to every meal from today!