Pioneer Valley Youth Sports and Fitness Institute
the source for sound athletic advice
Assessment of Fundamental Movements to Improve Performance
It seems more and more of today’s individual’s are working harder to become stronger and healthier. These individuals are constantly working to improve their activities by increasing their flexibility, strength, endurance, and power. A tremendous amount of athletes and individuals are performing high-level activities even though they are inefficient in their fundamental movements. These individuals create poor movement patterns, train around a pre-existing problem or simply do not train their weakness during their strength and conditioning programs. In today’s evolving training and conditioning market, athletes and individuals have access to a huge arsenal of equipment and workout programs; however, the best equipment and programs cannot produce proper results if the fundamental weaknesses are not exposed.
In many situations, the body’s ability to move through its most basic and fundamental movements goes un-assessed. It is important to understand that significant limitations or right and left side imbalances exist in some individuals at very basic levels of movement. These limitations and imbalances should not be overlooked. The body should be free of restrictions and free of imbalances prior to training, conditioning, competition and fitness activities. The significant limitations in left-right imbalances drastically distort motor learning, movement perception, body awareness and mechanics. They rob the body of efficiency and are very often hidden by those individuals who learn to compensate and substitute with other movement patterns.
Most people will not begin strength and conditioning or rehabilitative programs by determining if they have adequate movement patterns. By looking at the movement patterns and not just one area, a weak link can be identified. This weak link is a physical or functional limitation. In order to isolate the weak link, the body’s fundamental movement patterns should be considered. This makes it essential to assess an individual’s fundamental movements prior to beginning a rehabilitative or strength and conditioning program. This will enable the individual, strength and conditioning coach, athletic trainer or fitness professional to focus on that area. If this weak link is not identified, the body will compensate, causing inefficient movements. It is this type of inefficiency that can cause a decrease in performance and an increase in injuries.
The benefits of a functional movement screening and related core training program are not just for the competitive athlete or individual looking to improve their active lifestyle or fitness goals. Conducting a functional movement screening and correlating core training program not only benefits the athlete/client, it aids the physical therapists, strength coaches and athletic trainers as well.
Benefits of a Functional Movement Assessment and Core Training Program
- Improves functional and athletic performance
- Helps to reduce the potential for training and sports injuries
- Identifies physical imbalances or weaknesses
- Rehabilitates imbalances and strengthens weaknesses with simple corrective exercises
- Teaches the athlete/client to identify the difference between movement quality and movement quantity
- Allows trainers to better individualize training programs for greater athlete/client results
- Allows athletic trainers, strength and conditioning specialists, personal trainers and physical herapists to identify current injury trends and stats as they relate to the prevention of non-contact injuries
- Allows trainers to identify potential cause and effect relationships of mirco-trauma as well chronic injuries in relation to movement asymmetries
It is important to understand the role movement assessments can play in developing a more holistic approach to rehabilitation, strength and conditioning, and fitness programs. The body’s movement inefficiencies underlie strength, endurance, coordination, speed, agility and power problems. Exercise progressions that correlate to the movement assessment will help improve the specific fundamental movement pattern. If this can be accomplished and the body can begin to move more efficiently, then the performance of the individual will improve. Participating in a functional movement assessment and correlated core training program has the potential to be proactive in injury prevention and performance improvement.
To learn more about or participate in a functional movement assessment, contact Len Haggerty at len@strideshpi.net. Len is a Sports Performance coach and owner of STRIDES Performance & Wellness, Inc. in Northampton, MA. He provides an experience for youths, athletes, and adults of all ages and abilities to discover their athletic potential.
