When we think about exercise and staying fit, it’s really important to check how well our bodies are moving. One important tool for this is called the Functional Movement Screening (FMS). This test looks at how we move so we can spot any problems early on. Here are some reasons why using FMS in fitness assessments is so important.

1. Better Injury Prevention

Getting hurt while playing sports or working out can really slow you down and costs a lot of money for treatment. Did you know that:

• About half of all sports injuries come from doing too much with bad movement?
• Using FMS can lower the chances of getting hurt by up to 33%, especially for people at high risk, because it finds bad movement habits early.

By checking basic moves like squatting, lunging, and reaching, trainers can spot weak spots and fix them before injuries happen.

2. Improved Movement Quality

FMS checks how well someone can move and looks at important movement patterns. It uses a score from 0 to 21, where lower scores might mean problems. Research shows that:

• People who score below 14 are more likely to get hurt.
• Using FMS regularly can help people improve their scores, showing better movement and overall fitness.

Better movement not only helps in sports but also makes exercising safer and more effective.

3. Personalized Training Programs

FMS tests allow trainers to create special workout plans just for you. By looking at areas where you might be tight or imbalanced, trainers can focus on:

• Specific exercises to fix those weak areas.
• Building strength, flexibility, and endurance in spots that need help.
• Helping you see a 14% boost in overall performance when focused strategies are used.

This personal approach makes sure you’re working on what really matters for reaching your fitness goals while considering your needs.

4. A Complete Look at Fitness

FMS doesn’t just check strength and how well your heart works; it looks at all kinds of movement abilities. It focuses on three main parts:

• Mobility: How well you can move your joints.
• Stability: How well you can control your body while moving.
• Coordination: How well your body moves together as a unit.

By looking at these parts, trainers can create more complete fitness plans that not only help with physical strength but also improve how well your body works together.

5. Support from Research

There’s a lot of research backing up FMS. Studies show that:

• A big analysis found that 73% of studies using FMS were successful at spotting people at risk of getting hurt.
• Another study showed that by identifying movement issues, athletes had a 40% drop in injuries.

These facts show that using FMS in fitness assessments is not just a new idea, but a practice tested and proven to make training safer and improve performance.

Summary

To sum it up, including Functional Movement Screenings in fitness assessments is really important for many reasons. It helps prevent injuries, improve how we move, create personalized workout plans, take a complete view of fitness, and is supported by solid research. As we learn more about exercise science, using tools like FMS can help everyone not only reach their fitness goals but also enjoy safer and more effective workouts.