The study presented is a way of raising the awareness of the elderly population, showing an option of physical activity and quality of life. The objective of this study was to identify from the scientific publications the benefits found in functional training for the elderly. We used as a methodology the literature review where a bibliographic search was carried out using the following descriptors: Aged, Aging, Physical Exercise, Functional Training, used as data source the works available in Scientific Electronic Library Online (SCIELO) and LILACS in the portal of the Virtual Health Library (VHL) in the period between 2010 to 2018. The results indicate that functional training provides benefits regarding physical fitness related to health, maintenance and gains in functional capacity, as well as increased lean mass, strength in the lower limbs and increased postural stability. They also point to improvement in self-perception of quality of life, physical performance, decrease in fat mass and visceral fat, muscular power, balance and flexibility. Functional training based on a structured exercise program is effective and can be an effective and safe strategy for elicit adaptive responses related to functionality and against age-related declines. We conclude from this study that functional training demonstrated that it is an effective mechanism against low functional capacity and is therefore an alternative of safe, low cost physical training with a positive impact on muscle mass, strength and muscular power, cardiorespiratory resistance, flexibility , balance and cognition. In the aging process, inactivity is considered to be harmful to the elderly and may accelerate the decrease in functional capacity. However, among the benefits found, it is suggested that a gradual increase in strength, muscular endurance and decrease in falls occur.
