The Functional Movement Screen is a tool for dynamically assessing your body’s movement patterns and attempts to identify limitations and asymmetries that could predispose a person to injury.
*If you have pain doing any of these tests then take care of that first.* (Images and a detailed link are listed at the end).
7 + 1 bonus FMS Tests:
1) Active Straight Leg Raise (ASLR) – Lie supine on the floor and try to raise one leg as high as you can while keeping it straight, not moving your arms, head, lower back, or opposite leg which is almost in contact with the floor.
2) Deep-Squat – This test is more complicated and harder to do because it combines all the other tests together and see if they are working. Stand shoulder width apart, then squat down as deep as possible to an almost sitting position while keeping back straight. Also, do this while maintaining a stable dowel (long stick) over top of your head (straight arms).
3) In-Line Lunge – feet in line with each other in a comfortable lunge position and then perform a lunge while holding a rod/stick/dowel with opposite hands (one from come bottom and one coming from over the top) vertically behind you with it in contact with your neck, upper back, and lower back while keeping back straight, and feet/hips stable and rod/stick/dowel stable.
4) Hurdle-Step – Stand feet together with rod/stick/dowel in same position as the In-Line Lunge, then slowly step over the hurdle and touch other side with heel but do not put weight on it and bring your leg back over into standing. Alternate both sides while keeping back straight and rod/stick/dowel stable.
5) Core-Reflex Push-up – Get in a push-up position with your hands farther out and higher up and then attempt to do a push-up while keeping your hips, pelvis, and back straight.
6) Scapular-Stability – This test is also more complicated because it measures glenohumeral (shoulder) joint mobility, scapular stability, and thoracic spine mobility/rotation. Position your arms straight out at 20-30 degrees higher than the shoulders with hands in a fist (thumb tucked inside) and then in one motion reach both arms (one from under and other from over the back) and try to touch each other while maintaining both fists.
7) Rotary Stability – Get in a bird-dog position or on both knees and hands (four-point position) and straighten contra-lateral (opposite) arms and legs at the same time and try to maintain it for a couple seconds. Then while maintaining this position simultaneously bring elbow and knees towards the mid-line and touch before returning to starting position (Do about three times). Do both sides.
8) Seated Rotation (From a FMS youtube video) – Sit cross-legged, place a rod/stick/dowel across chest (touching collar bone/shoulders) with hands criss-crossed holding it in place. Then rotate/turn only your spine/trunk until the dowel reaches its destination (like the side of a door). Do this on boths sides while keeping back straight.
*Once again if you have pain doing any of these tests then take care of that first.*
Scoring the 7 FMS Tests:
Each test is scored by a 0-3 scale with 0 feeling the worst and 3 feeling the best.
0 = Pain while trying to perform test.
1 = Unable to perform test even with compensations.
2 = Able to perform and accomplish test with compensations.
3 = Can perform and complete the test without any compensations.
http://www.advanced-fitness-concepts.com/fms.pdf – Here is a detailed link to the 7 movement tests.
Note: ELIMINATE HARMFUL MOVEMENTS AND THEN ADD CORRECTED MOVEMENTS.
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