The way Adam Duncan sees it, getting up from your dining room chair — and sitting down again — has as much power to create muscles as a gym full of weights. The same is true, he'll tell you, for carrying groceries to your car and walking up and down a flight of stairs.

Duncan, a 47-year-old personal trainer from Waimanalo, calls this "functional fitness" and he sees it as a simple and effective method to train seniors and folks with limited mobility. He's been doing it for 10 years.

"What we do is study people's movements at home and work, and we try to develop a program that will help in their daily life," said Duncan, who has trained people for 26 years. "It has nothing to do with traditional strength training. We try to reach people in a different way. We try to let them know that exercise can improve their daily overall activities instead of just developing muscles."

In much the way a gym weight-lifting routine works, Duncan's routine stresses correct posture and repetitive motion. But instead of weights several times a week, he has devised more than 25 moves to build strength where it's really needed: Chair squats, chair sit-ups, carrying a file box, even getting up off the ground.

"We teach them basic ergonomics," he said. "These are really simple movements and people can do these every day."

FUNCTIONAL FITNESS

Here are several exercises that help with daily functions. They can be done every day or every other day.

GETTING OUT OF BED: Start by lying on your back in bed. Swing your legs to the side and let your feet fall to the floor. Then stand up. Reverse the order to return to the bed to complete one repetition. Do five repetitions per side.

CHAIR SQUATS: Start from a seated position in a dining room chair. Lean forward, making sure your torso is over your knees, and then stand straight up. Return to a seated position to complete the repetition. Do five times.

OUT OF THE CAR: This can be done with a dining room chair to simulate getting out of your car. Facing forward is your 12 o'clock, to your right is 3 o'clock and to your left is 9 o'clock. Start by facing your 9 o'clock, as if you were backing into the car seat. Lift your right leg and swing it to the right, swiveling your trunk so you are facing forward. Your left leg will follow. Reverse the sequence to complete the repetition. Do five times for each side of your car.

LAUNDRY BASKET LIFT: Straddle a laundry basket, preferably one with clothes in it. With your legs bent at the knees, lean forward to grasp the basket on either side, then lift straight up while straightening your legs. Reverse the sequence to return the basket to the ground. Do five times.