Hello and welcome to my blog about movement screens! This was a popular request when asked what blog topic people would be interested in knowing more about and rightly so!
Movement screens are designed to highlight movements that individuals excel at as well as those movements that they might find tricky. In addition to this, movement screens can be performed by people who have no current pain or complaint and those experiencing musculoskeletal injuries/discomforts (Cook 2010).
Movement screens have been around for many years with tweaks and changes happening frequently to better suit varying avenues of sport and day to day life. The protocol that we are going to focus on is the Functional Movement Screen.
Functional Movement Screen
What is a Functional Movement Screen (FMS)?
FMS is a screening tool used to evaluate fundamental movement patterns in individuals. It has widely been used to understand movement quality within many different populations (Cook 2010). The FMS consists of movement patters which are scored using a grading system (Cook et al. 2014).
It is these movements that better help therapists in their diagnosis and treatment plans as well as trainers/coaches/elite athletes elicit the most out of their performance. The main movements we see from the FMS that are closely related and have a nice cross over into functional training are; squatting, stepping, lunging and push up.
I have been working closely recently with Personal Trainers in the area to create a movement screen that suits their method of training. Working within a multidiscipline team is hugely beneficial for the client. It enables a great relationship to be formed as well as having the client’s best interests at the forefront.
Benefits of undertaking a functional movement screen
· Consistent and reliable testing method
· Identifies movement limitations, dysfunctions and excellence
· Improved efficiency, durability and performance
· Provides an enhanced foundation for exercise and performance across all ages and disciplines.
Thank you for taking the time to read my Movement Screens blog. If you’re interested in completing a movement screen as part of your FIRST personal training session, then please do not hesitate to get in contact.
Liv
BSc Hons Sports Therapy MSST
MSc Strength and Conditioning
07761887778
References
Cook, G, (2010), Movement Functional Movement System: Screening, Assessment, Corrective Strategies, 1st Edition, U.S.A, On Target Publications
Cook, G, Burton, L, Hoogenboom, B. J and Voight, M, (2014), ‘Functional Movement Screening: The Use Of Fundamental Movements As An Assessment Of Function- Part 2’, International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy, 9, (4), 549-563.
