The Purpose of Proper Movement Preparation
What does the term “functional movement” really mean?
According to kinesiology guru, Dr Kelly Starrett, it is movement that requires you to prioritize spinal mechanics and initiate movement from your hips and shoulders. Functional movement begins in a wave of contraction from core to sleeve, from trunk to periphery, from the centre, outwards. This means that if we are not moving in a functional manner, then we are generating movement that isn’t supported by the musculature of the core, and instead we are creating tension and dysfunction throughout the tissues surrounding the joints of our bodies.
I hear the terms “good form” and “neutral spine” a lot… what do these actually actually mean?
In order to safely and effectively transmit force through your core and into your limbs, you need to organise your spine in a neutral position and then create stability throughout that organised system by engaging the musculature of the core, which is known as bracing. You might see variations of the “brace” when people set up to perform heavy lifts in a gym, or when observing the upright trunk of an Olympic sprinter in action. When you fail to brace effectively, you create dysfunction that your body closes down immediately by distributing tension elsewhere. You will notice this when you see people collapsing the ankles and knees inwards during simple movements like squats or even just when walking down the street. If they braced properly through the core, the legs wouldn’t buckle or collapse.
Dysfunction in 98% of people can be attributed to two simple factors:
Overtension (missing range of motion)
Open-circuit faults (moving around in bad positions)
People lose range of motion and create these bad positions for movement based on three issues:
They have a task-completion, get-the-job-done mindset
They’ve ingrained poor positions and movement patterns in their training and daily life
They don’t have a reproducible, all encompassing bracing strategy that transfers to the majority of movements
It is difficult to get to the root of movement issues and to take the time to reverse-engineer patterns that have been hardwired over years of conditioning. If you sit in a chair, you have to spend extra time working on your posture. If you wear high heels, you have to focus on your foot position and calf mobility. Biomechanical pathologies are treatable at any time or stage of human development. During your sessions we will address these factors and issues and provide you with some simple, practical movement solutions that you can incorporate into your daily exercise, at home or even at your desk in order to start moving more effectively, immediately.
What to Expect from Your function Movement Assessment
Your initial screening session includes:
A Functional Movement Screen (FMS) providing a score out of 30 and objective measure of the safety and efficiency of your current movement patterns
An assessment and discussion of new movements that you can practise based on your lifestyle, your daily physical demands and your unique structural and functional needs
Your review and movement prescription sessions include:
Discussion of the importance and relevance of any new movement pattern that you may need to integrate into your lifestyle
A rundown of the exercise(s) that you will perform in order to start moving more efficiently. This exercise or series of exercises will be integrated into your schedule based on your individual needs. For some people this may be a simple sequence of movements to be performed at the office desk to promote vitality and focus, for others it may be a mobility or neuromuscular-activation sequence to perform in preparation for a training session
A program for you to take home so you know exactly what to work on before your next review
There is no need to put up with pain any longer
Schedule your first appointment with our expert ABC™ Chiropractors and get back to doing what you love.
Schedule your first appointment with our expert ABC™ Chiropractors and get back to doing what you love