The Functional Movement Screen (FMS)

This week I and four colleagues began an exciting task of teaching new personal trainers some basic training skills. In this process I have reacquainted myself with the Functional Movement Screen or FMS. Here’s what it is and why it’s cool.

The FMS was developed by Gray Cook and Lee Burton as a way to simplify and standardize how we assess the functionality of an individual’s body. Here is how they describe it on their website www.functionalmovement.com:

Put simply, the FMS is a ranking and grading system that documents movement patterns that are key to normal function. By screening these patterns, the FMS readily identifies functional limitations and asymmetries. These are issues that can reduce the effects of functional training and physical conditioning and distort body awareness.

In other words, the FMS shows you where an individual’s body is failing to move correctly and give you clues as to where the problem lies. In our society, most individuals have large movement problems stemming from their shoulder and hip region. (Check out the skills tab for an explanation of some of the movements that I am talking about.) These deficits could be the result of weakness, instability, tightness, faulty motor pattern, injury, or any combination thereof. The beauty of the FMS is that it allows the trainer to recognize some of these major issues before ever touching a weight. The trainer can then begin to create a strategy for taking the client into a successful program.

If you are exercising in any capacity, from weekend warrior to dedicated marathoner, you should have some way to assess your body’s movement patterns. The body is complex and, due to it’s high adaptability, imbalances and motor problems develop easily, especially in the presence of repetitive movement. We all have imbalances that we need to be aware of and stay on top of if we want to avoid injury. A good trainer should be helping you to evaluate your body’s movement and helping you to make corrections as they are needed. The FMS is one great way to meet this goal and I encourage you to learn more about it and to find a trainer who can help you with the kind of information that it provides.  But at the very least, find some way to understand your own movement patterns and make sure you are addressing them in your exercise program.