Functional Movement....

What does functional movement mean to you?

To be strong? To be fast? Surely being able to run a marathon makes you pretty functionally fit?.....WRONG.

If you are Functional your body moves with ease in any direction. Lifting yourself out of a swimming pool for example is not just about upper body strength (I can have hours of fun watching people fail miserably at this before deciding to just use the ladder). It’s about technique and being functional.

I have been training for over 10 years and played rugby for nearly as long. All I cared about was being able to run fast, lift heavy weights and being the man on the rugby pitch.

To me, I was functionally fit, but boy was I wrong.

I was convinced by my girlfriend to go on a Functional Movement Screening (FMS) course in Budapest. Being a typical bloke I didn’t think it was for me but I went as it gave me an excuse to see Budapest again. Great beer.

When we were on this course (which was amazing by the way) we all had to be screened ourselves.

NNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO……………….My results were a complete surprise. Low scores and even zero’s were creeping up as we investigated shoulder mobility. I thought I would nail it. I couldn’t believe it, "How could this be?" I asked myself? "I’m fit, strong, fast and play rugby 3 times a week!!".

Yes I was strong and yes I could run fast, but my shoulder and hip mobility, core strength and balance quite simply needed a lot of work.

I can run 100m in just over 11 secs yet by hip mobility scored low. I can bench press 140kg but my shoulder mobility scored really low. The truth is an injury was on the horizon if I kept this level of training up but paid no attention to the finer details.

So of course I was not going to have this. As soon as we arrived back in the UK I was a man on a mission to increase my mobility and have the balance of a tight rope performer at the circus.

Here’s the amazing part.

After just 4 weeks of following my prescribed Functional movement programme (it took just 10mins a day) which consisted of stretches, controlled movements and breathing exercises. Not only did the obvious happen (my mobility, balance and core strength improved) I added 15kg to my bench press, 15kg to my squat and felt so much quicker on the rugby pitch. I was amazed.

So yes being strong, quick and having tons of endurance as well as is looking great are important, but if this kind of training restricts your movement then you need to do something about it. It really can take your training, your performance and your recovery to a whole new level. It has changed the way myself and my clients train and move forever.

If you suffer from back pain, knee pain, restricted shoulder movement or suffer from an imbalance book your Functional Movement Screen today.

Fitter London are Certified Functional Movement Screening Instructors.

For more information on booking your FMS please contact us:

http://fitterlondon.com/contact_us/