Master your bodies movement & increase your results
When it comes to fitness, it’s easy to get caught up in the latest trends or complex exercises. But at the heart of any effective workout program are the basic functional movement patterns. These are the foundational movements that our bodies perform daily, and they’re crucial for maintaining overall health, strength, and mobility. Understanding these patterns and ensuring you have sufficient strength and range of motion in each one can greatly enhance your fitness journey.
What Are Functional Movement Patterns?
Functional movement patterns are the fundamental motions that our bodies are designed to perform. They’re called “functional” because they’re directly related to real-life activities and movements. These patterns are the building blocks of all exercises and are essential for maintaining an active, injury-free lifestyle.
Here are the basic functional movement patterns:
1. Squat
2. Hinge
3. Lunge
4. Push
5. Pull
6. Rotate
7. Gait (Walking/Running)
Let’s break down each one and explore why they’re so important.
1. The Squat
What It Is: The squat involves bending at the knees and hips to lower your body towards the ground and then standing back up. It’s a movement you use every day, from sitting in a chair to picking up something from the floor.
Why It’s Important:
- Strength: Squats build strength in the lower body, particularly the quads, glutes, and hamstrings.
- Mobility: Squatting with proper form improves hip and ankle mobility, which is crucial for preventing injuries and maintaining a full range of motion as you age.
- Functionality: A strong squat pattern ensures that you can perform daily activities with ease, like getting out of a chair or lifting heavy objects.
2. The Hinge
What It Is: The hinge movement is all about bending at the hips while keeping a neutral spine. The deadlift is a classic example of a hinge pattern.
Why It’s Important:
- Strength: The hinge primarily targets the posterior chain, including the hamstrings, glutes, and lower back muscles.
- Mobility: Proper hinge mechanics protect your lower back by teaching you to move through your hips rather than your spine.
- Functionality: Mastering the hinge helps prevent lower back injuries when lifting objects from the ground and improves athletic performance in sports and activities that require explosive power.
3. The Lunge
What It Is: The lunge involves stepping forward, backward, or to the side and lowering your body until your front and back knees are at a 90-degree angle.
Why It’s Important:
- Strength: Lunges strengthen the quads, glutes, and hamstrings, while also challenging your balance and stability.
- Mobility: Lunging improves hip flexor flexibility, helps correct imbalances between the left and right sides of your body & improves overall stability.
- Functionality: The lunge pattern is essential for any activity that involves stepping or climbing, making it a key movement for maintaining balance and coordination.
4. The Push
What It Is: The push movement involves pressing weight away from your body, such as in a push-up or overhead press.
Why It’s Important:
- Strength: Pushing exercises target the chest, shoulders, and triceps, building upper body strength.
- Mobility: Ensuring a full range of motion in your shoulders and elbows during pushing movements helps prevent injuries and improves posture.
- Functionality: A strong push pattern is necessary for everyday actions like pushing a door open or lifting something overhead.
5. The Pull
What It Is: The pull movement involves drawing weight toward your body, as seen in rows and pull-ups.
Why It’s Important:
- Strength: Pulling exercises strengthen the back muscles, biceps, and forearms, contributing to overall upper body strength and posture.
- Mobility: Maintaining shoulder mobility and scapular stability during pulling movements is key to preventing shoulder injuries.
- Functionality: The pull pattern is crucial for tasks like pulling a heavy object towards you or performing a chin-up.
6. Rotation
What It Is: Rotation involves twisting through the torso, engaging the core and the muscles around the spine.
Why It’s Important:
- Strength: Rotational movements engage the obliques and other core muscles, which are vital for overall core strength.
- Mobility: A healthy range of motion in rotational movements ensures spinal health and reduces the risk of injuries in the lower back.
- Functionality: Rotation is used in many daily activities and sports, such as swinging a bat or twisting to reach something behind you.
7. The Gait (Walking/Running)
What It Is: Gait refers to the way you walk or run, which involves a combination of all the other movement patterns.
Why It’s Important:
- Strength: A strong gait pattern relies on the coordination and strength of the entire body, particularly the legs and core.
- Mobility: Maintaining a proper gait ensures joint health and reduces the risk of injuries, especially in the hips, knees, and ankles.
- Functionality: A good gait pattern is essential for efficient and injury-free walking and running, which are fundamental to maintaining an active lifestyle.
Conclusion: The Foundation of Fitness
Mastering these basic functional movement patterns is essential for anyone looking to improve their fitness, prevent injuries, and enhance their quality of life. By focusing on building strength and maintaining a full range of motion in each movement, you’ll be better equipped to handle the physical demands of daily life and perform at your best in any fitness endeavor.
Whether you’re new to exercise or a seasoned athlete, make sure these functional patterns are a core part of your training routine. They’re the building blocks of all movement, and ensuring you have a strong foundation will set you up for long-term success in your fitness journey.
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