Functional Movement
Functional exercises that engage muscles in all planes of movement are essential for a comprehensive treatment program. Athletico clinicians use multiple approaches to functional movement, helping patients reach their goals and return to active lifestyles. Functional Movement Screens and 3D MAPS are two assessment tools designed to help patients move better, perform better, and reduce injury risk.
What are Functional Movement Screens™?
Today’s athletes push themselves to become bigger, stronger, and faster by focusing on flexibility, strength, endurance, and power. However, many train at a high level without addressing fundamental movement inefficiencies. As a result, they may develop poor movement patterns, train around existing issues, or neglect key weaknesses in their conditioning programs – all of which can increase the risk of injury and limit performance.
Functional Movement Screens™ help identify movement limitations and asymmetries that can lead to injuries. This screen evaluates whether an athlete can perform essential movement patterns – like squatting or lunging – without dysfunction. It is a vital tool for developing a safe and effective training program.
Why is Functional Movement Screens™ Important?
- Identifies movement limitations before they become injuries
- Optimizes training programs by addressing weaknesses
- Improves movement efficiency for better performance
- Reduces injury risk by correcting dysfunctional patterns
Before beginning a strength and conditioning program, it’s essential to assess fundamental movements. If weaknesses go unaddressed, the body compensates, leading to inefficient movement patterns that can decrease performance and increase injury risk.
By identifying these weak links, we can design targeted exercises to correct movement patterns, improving efficiency, enhancing performance, and reducing injury potential.
Who Can Benefit from Functional Movement Screens™?
Now is a perfect time for athletes in basketball, hockey, swimming, rugby, and soccer to find their FMS™ score prior to training for the upcoming season!
What is 3DMAPS®?
Human movement doesn’t happen in a straight line. We move in three planes of motion – forward/backward, side to side, and rotation. Weakness or dysfunction in any of these planes can lead to compensations, inefficiencies, and a higher risk of injury.
3DMAPS® is an advanced assessment tool that evaluates how well your body moves in all three planes. Our trained clinicians use this system to identify strengths, weaknesses, and movement dysfunctions, allowing us to develop targeted exercise interventions that improve efficiency and reduce injury risk.
Why 3DMAPS®?
- Assesses real-life, functional movement patterns
- Identifies movement imbalances that could lead to pain or injury
- Develops customized programs to restore strength and mobility
Whether you’re an athlete preparing for the season or someone looking to improve movement efficiency, Functional Movement Screens and 3DMAPS can help you move, feel, and perform at your best.
Find a Functional Movement Specialist