Today’s way of life has contributed to prolonged periods of inactivity – whether it’s at a desk, in front of a computer, standing behind a counter, or commuting in a car. We are spending the majority of our time in one plane of movement.
As we age and live our lives in the same routines, muscles, ligaments and joints become used to the patterns of movement. The elasticity of our muscles change and the synovial fluid in our joints decreases, which in turn changes the range of motion in our joints – depending on our movement, or lack thereof.
What is functional movement?
Functional movements are movements you perform in multiple planes of movement with multiple joints across their full range of motion. They will vary from person to person based on age and the activities you do, however the seven general movement patterns of the body are squat, lunge, push, pull, hinge, twist, and walk. These seven ‘functions’ make up the general things you do during your day to help accomplish essential tasks – such as picking something up off the floor, reaching for something on a high shelf, or carrying groceries.
Why is functional movement significant?
When you don’t have functional movement, small daily tasks become difficult to accomplish. You may experience trouble performing activities such as dressing, bathing, getting out of bed, preparing meals, driving, and shopping. When you build muscles and strength, everyday tasks like these become easier to perform independently.
We don’t often think about the movements we need for accomplishing daily tasks until something is malfunctioning and/or causing us pain. Focusing on functional training prior to feeling pain will not only help you to avoid future injury, but will allow you to move with the greatest ease and efficiency. This becomes particularly important as we age.
The benefits of functional training
Purposeful functional movement training that trains multiple muscle groups at once will allow your body to function better as a whole, moving confidently and staying sturdy, strong and safe. Functional training can:
- Enhance joint mobility and flexibility
- Reduce the risk of injury in daily activities
- Improve posture and body awareness
- Increase core strength and stability
- Boost athletic performance and efficiency
- Alleviate chronic pain and discomfort
- Promote recovery from injury or surgery
- Contribute to mental wellbeing and stress reduction
Bioelectric Meridian Therapy supports functional movement
While functional training is important, the final piece of the puzzle to fully optimise joint movement and overall health is adding in a form of muscle and blood flow release.
Bioelectric Meridian Therapy (BMT) successfully improves functional movement. It does so by promoting blood flow to clear the meridian pathways, increase proprioceptive communication within the system, and allowing the body to return to homeostasis.
BMT can be used as a complementary therapy to help increase functional movement after sports injuries or surgery, allowing the patient to return to their normal daily activities quickly and effectively.
Learn more about Bioelectric Meridian Therapy and how it can be used to improve functional movement.
