There’s so many different training types these days, it can leave you out of breath just trying to keep up. 

Functional training is a method of exercise that’s accessible to everyone, whether you’re a gym enthusiast or someone in their 70s who’s never set foot in a gym. 

The movements, usually involving bending, twisting, lifting, pushing, and pulling, prepare your body for the rigours of everyday life. 

Just as it’s crucial to perform functional training exercises correctly, it’s equally important to fuel your body with the right foods. 

The ideal diet supports training by providing the energy needed for workouts, aiding muscle repair and growth, and helping the body recover effectively. High-quality protein sources, such as tuna, support muscle repair, while carbs and healthy fats are essential for sustained energy.

Functional training is exactly what it says on the tin – it’s all about getting your body functioning at its absolute best.  

Whereas hybrid training or CrossFit may focus on intensity and variety, functional training aims to make you stronger, more agile, and better equipped to perform daily activities safely and effectively.

Anybody over a certain age will tell you how even the simplest of movements, like bending down to tie a shoelace, or reaching for something on a high shelf, can leave you with a twinge in your back or neck that lasts for weeks. 

Instead of isolating individual muscles, functional training focuses on movements that mimic real-life activities like bending to pick something up, twisting to reach for an object, lifting a heavy box, or pushing a door open.

In practice, this looks like exercises such as squats, lunges, deadlifts, push-ups, and planks, which engage multiple muscle groups and improve balance, strength, and coordination.

Wherever you hear the word ‘training’, that word ‘diet’ isn’t usually too far behind – and for good reason. 

Training without proper nutrition is like trying to drive a car without fuel; your body won’t have the required energy it needs to move, recovery will be a non-starter, and your motivation will go from 60 to 0 in no time at all. 

This is especially crucial in functional training because those full-body movements, which help prepare your body for real life activities, engage multiple muscle groups simultaneously. 

Eating the right food ensures you have the fuel to perform exercises like squats, push-ups, and walking lunges with proper form, reducing the risk of injury. It also provides the essential nutrients needed for muscle repair, joint health, and overall endurance, leaving you better equipped to handle everyday tasks.

No training programme is complete without protein goals.

It would be like trying to climb Everest without shoes. 

High-quality protein plays a pivotal role in muscle repair and growth, helping your body recover after those intense functional training sessions.

Adding tinned tuna to your diet, with its rich supply of amino acids, ensures you’re giving your muscles the nutrients they need to rebuild and strengthen.

No prep, no fuss, no stress. Either eat it straight from the can, or mix it into your favourite meal, and keep your protein intake on track effortlessly. 

The type of protein matters too. The British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES) advises athletes to prioritise whole-food protein sources like tuna, salmon, beef, and eggs, instead of relying on supplements. For optimal muscle recovery, protein should be consumed within one to two hours of exercise, although eating high-quality protein across the day – within 24 hours of exercise – is also beneficial.

Nobody knows your body better than you, and you understand what it needs to perform at its best. Listening to it, though, is essential. 

Our bodies constantly send signals about how they’re responding to workouts, recovery, and nutrition – don’t ignore these signs. 

Hunger and fatigue are two of the most common, which is why fuelling your body with high-quality proteins, like tuna, is so incredibly important.