Most people I talk to, including those who exercise regularly, really have no idea what a Functional Movement Screen (FMS) is and why it’s important or how it even applies to them. The FMS helps
us to achieve our mission at Santa Cruz CORE and my personal mission: to help as many people as possible achieve optimal health through our community of wellness. Clients come in and want to get assessed or want to get their workout on but they trust me to give them a comprehensive assessment or maybe they don’t even think they need one, but what people don’t know is that everyone needs an assessment even the elite athletes. IN FACT: all but one of the NFL teams who made it to the playoffs bases their training around the FMS.
So what is this mysterious assessment and why do you care? Well, the body is all connected (duh) but each joint’s function affects how the rest of the body behaves. So, if one joint or muscle group is not working optimally it affects how the rest of the body functions. It is all part of what we as trainers call the kinetic chain. It is my job to determine how the body is functioning and to see where there may be areas of function and dysfunction in the body. The Functional Movement Screen is that system! It provides a provides simple and quantifiable method for evaluating basic movement abilities. The FMS centers around seven different movements patterns that focus on mobility and stability and it produces quantifiable results! In other words, it allows me to test a clients mobility and from there create the basis for their entire training program with me.
The seven movements are scored on a scale of 0-3 and are named below:
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The Deep Squat
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The Hurdle Step
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The In Line Lunge
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The Active Straight-Leg Raise
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The Trunk Stability Push Up
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Shoulder Mobility
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Rotary Mobility
Not only does this screen produce quantifiable results, but there is also a correlation with how an individual performs and how they score. People who score 14 or above have a 30% increase in performance and of course this is relative to the individuals and those who score a 14 or below have a 30% increase risk of injury. So what do you do after you get scored? I am then able to determine the appropriate exercises or stretches and provide the client with the best recommendations to address any mobility or stability issues.
Here’s a great story about one of my clients application of the FMS to improve his performance with Cross Fit. Jay trains and competes as a CrossFit athlete. He’s strong, good looking, energetic, and pretty much the epitome of what a highly in shape human looks like. But, he came in complaining that he couldn’t increase his strength on the snatch and his kipping pull ups were starting to hurt his shoulder…..In comes the FMS. As we worked our way through the screen, it became more and more apparent that though Jay appeared very strong, there were some movements where he scored a 1 (meaning he couldn’t complete the movement). The thing is that he like anyone is only as strong as their weakest link. Through finishing the FMS we found that he had mobility issues in his shoulders and limited stability in his core. As a result of the FMS I was able to give him specific exercises to improve his CrossFit Training. After 30 days he increased his snatch weight by over 20% and his shoulder was pain free when doing kipping pull-ups. My goal is to get you out there doing what you love and keeping you pain and injury free while doing it for as long as you so desire.
So, are you an athlete, a “regular person” who has an injury history or afraid of getting hurt while exercising, or maybe wondering why something just doesn’t feel right? Call us, come in and receive an FMS. Mention this post and receive one for $49. OR not in the area, find a facility who can do an FMS for you, you won’t regret it! Knowledge is power!
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Jaimi Ellison
Owner/CEO/Elite Trainer/Nutritionist
Santa Cruz Core Fitness + Rehab