I've been getting it done regularly for 5 years now, a couple times per year to evaluate and then track my 'functional movement' progress and maintenance.
I was incredibly thankful to Athletes' Performance for including this type of screening in their evaluation protocols way back then. It was a testament to their precision of performance training and commitment to the body, without which could not have continued to compete, not at any level.
Since then I can't imagine NOT doing some sort of movement screen as part of my evaluation before I start my training. My mind can WANT to do all the training it wants, but without a body that is structurally sound to handle activities like swim/bike/run, both injury free and efficiently, I won't get too far. It is necessary to evaluate the body's movement, get to the heart of imbalances and limitations, figure out how to correct them and then correct them.
Simply put, the FMS is a ranking and grading system made up of a series of 7 movements which target and evaluate movement patterns that are key to normal function. Through the screening, limitations and asymmetries of the body are easily identified and tracked.
A few examples of the movements are the Squat, Hurdle Step, In-line Lunge, and Rotational Stability.
From their website:
"Basic movement pattern limitations can reduce the effects of functional training, physical conditioning, and distort proprioception (body awareness). At the heart of the system is the Functional Movement Screen Score which helps to target the problem and track progress."
The FMS gives you a score of 1, 2 or 3 on each of the 7 movements. The maximum (best) score you can get is a 21. The scoring system allows performance specialists great guidelines within which to prescribe the most beneficial corrective exercises to restore mechanically sound movement patterns.
MY SCORE + THE FMS PRACTICALLY SPEAKING:
My initial score, when I'm coming off of a break from training/racing, typically falls between 16-18. Last week I tested at 18. My deep squat, trunk stability push-up and rotational stability were my issues.
The way I see it, if translated into percentage points and energy leaking every step an endurance athlete takes, a score of 16-18 out of 21 would equal roughly getting out only 75-85% of the effort you are putting in every running stride or pedal stroke, WITH the chance for injury. Pretty simple: the lower the score, the higher the limitations and the more likely it is that you are working harder than you have to to cover a distance in a certain amount of time and setting yourself up for injury.
GOOD NEWS!
After 6 weeks of consistent corrective strength and movement exercises I've always been re-tested at 21. How cool is that!
Postural assessments are useful too, though the reason the FMS is even more useful is the "FUNCTIONAL" part. It is one thing to evaluate assymetries, it's another to figure out why it happened and correct it.
For more details check out the website at www.functionalmovement.com.
