7 Fundamental Movement Patterns of the Functional Movement Screen (FMS)

The Functional Movement Screen is a system used by Elite Health Services fitness and performance professionals to evaluate movement pattern quality in clients and athletes.

There are seven fundamental movement patterns that make up the FMS.

The findings of the screen are utilized by the trainer or performance coach to help create a customized exercise program specifically designed to help the client/athlete avoid injuries while obtaining their related fitness goals.

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The Deep Squat

The deep squat is a test that challenges total body mechanics when performed properly.

It is used to assess bilateral, symmetrical, and functional mobility of the hips, knees, and ankles. The dowel held overhead assesses bilateral, symmetrical mobility of the shoulders as well as the thoracic spine. A number of things can hinder this movement including limited thoracic and shoulder mobility, limited dorsiflexion, or core weakness.

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The Hurdle Squat

The hurdle step is designed to challenge the body’s proper stride mechanics during a stepping motion.

The movement requires proper coordination and stability between the hips and torso during the stepping motion as well as single leg
stance stability.

The hip, knees, and foot should be aligned in the sagittal plane. The dowel should stay parallel to the ground and there should not be flexion or extension throughout any part of the back. Limited hip mobility, and some stabilizers of the hips and a weak core may hinder the ability to perform this test correctly.

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The In-Line Lunge

This test attempts to place the body in a position that will focus on the stresses as simulated during rotational, decelerating, and lateral-type movements.

The inline lunge is a test that places the lower extremity in a scissored position, challenging the body’s trunk and extremities to resist rotation and maintain proper alignment. This test assesses torso, shoulder, hip and ankle mobility and stability, quadriceps flexibility and knee stability. Poor balance, core, and mobility in lower extremities can make this movement difficult.

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Shoulder Mobility

The shoulder mobility screen assesses bilateral shoulder range of motion, combining internal rotation with adduction and external rotation with abduction.

It also requires normal scapular mobility and thoracic spine extension. The ability to perform the shoulder mobility test requires shoulder mobility in a combination of motions including abduction/external rotation, flexion/extension and adduction/internal rotation. It also requires scapular and thoracic spine mobility. The impingement test demonstrated in the image on the right clears this test.

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Active Straight Leg Raise

The active straight-leg raise tests the ability to disassociate the lower extremity while maintaining stability in the torso.

The active straight-leg raise test assesses active hamstring and gastroc-soleus flexibility while maintaining a stable pelvis and active extension of the opposite leg. The ability to perform the active straight-leg raise test requires functional hamstring flexibility, which is the flexibility that is available during training and competition.

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Trunk Stability Push-Up

The trunk stability push-up tests the ability to stabilize the spine in an anterior and posterior plane during a closed-chain upper body movement.

Lack of upper body and core strength are limiting factors with this movement.

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Rotary Stability

This test is a complex movement requiring proper neuromuscular coordination and energy transfer from one segment of the body to another through the torso.

The rotary stability test assesses multi-plane trunk stability during a combined upper and lower extremity motion. If the trunk does not have adequate stability during these activities, kinetic energy will be dispersed, leading to poor performance as well as increased potential for injury.

* content credits to performbetter.com

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