Here's how you can excel in corrective exercise and post-rehabilitation with functional training.

Functional Exercise and Rehabilitation Functional training plays a crucial role in post-rehabilitation. Here’s how it contributes: Foundation of Functional Training: Functional training focuses on movements that mimic real-life activities. It emphasizes mobility, stability, and strength in functional patterns. The STRIVE approach provides a solid foundation for functional exercise and rehabilitation2. Integration with Manual Therapy and Other Modalities: Combining functional training with manual therapy, massage, acupuncture, and other modalities accelerates and improves the recovery process3.

The best way to improve daily mobility is to move every day. As they say, motion is lotion. This can be as simple as everyday walking for your lower body or as robust as following a daily mobility plan from a physical therapist. - Crocodile Breathing - Single-leg supine Leg Raise - Single-Arm Kettlebell March + Reverse Lunge - 90/90 Hip Rotation - Thoracic Foam Rolling - Cossack Squat - Shoulder CAR - Sciatic Nerve Floss - Dead Hang - Banded Hip Mobilization - Kang Squat - Kettlebell Windmill

First it's essential to understand the basics of human movement. Functional training targets compound movements that engage multiple muscle groups, closely simulating real-world activities. By focusing on these natural movement patterns, you can correct muscle imbalances and improve overall functional strength, which is crucial for injury prevention and recovery. Then by performing exercises that mimic everyday activities, you can strengthen weaker muscle groups while improving coordination and stability. This approach ensures that all parts of your body work together efficiently, reducing the risk of re-injury. Focus on exercises that challenge your balance and engage your core, as these are vital for maintaining proper alignment.

Building a strong foundation in corrective exercise and post-rehabilitation with functional training is crucial. Grasp human anatomy, movement patterns, and biomechanics. For instance, knowing how the hip joint moves can prevent injuries. Learn about common dysfunctions like poor posture and muscle imbalances. This knowledge helps you design personalized programs that turn setbacks into comebacks, ensuring clients recover and excel.

Functional training employs various objects—such as bands, balls, and free weights—to condition the body. Instead of focusing on one specific body region, functional training uses exercises & movements similar to everyday activities. This aids in movements executed through a smarter, more optimal way. Functional training focuses on all areas of the body, while corrective exercises target individual areas to fix them. By establishing the root cause(s) of a problem, you can implement strategies to prevent the recurrence of similar issues in the future. Instead of focusing on one or the other, the most effective way to stay healthy is to combine a regimen of functional training and corrective exercises.

One thing I've found helpful, is to carefully evaluate the movement and understand the client's specific movement limitations. Functional training mimics the fundamental movements and exercises one needs for every day life activities and will help in the future to prevent injuries.

Assessing movement is like solving a mystery; identify the issue before fixing it. Use tools like the Functional Movement Screen (FMS) or simple observation. Look for asymmetries, compensations, or pain. For example, if knees cave in during a squat, it might indicate weak glutes or tight adductors. Accurate assessments target these issues, ensuring safer, effective training

A thorough movement assessment will tell you where to start and what direction to head in. A movement assessment can help you figure out why one may have pain, bad form, etc. Here are a few movement patterns I really analyze: Squats. How someone sits/squats down can tell you a lot (hip mobility, potential adductor tightness, glute activation, etc.) A lunge/single leg variation to see balance, stability, ankle mobility and a lot of the same things as a squat (but single leg.) Overhead press (starting with no weight.) While shoulders should be stable then tend to chose mobility, leaving people with injuries and pain. A push-up and row determine core strength, scapula retraction etc.

Corrective exercise and rehabilitation strategies based on the findings of functional movement assessments are essential components of comprehensive care for individuals experiencing musculoskeletal challenges. Once movement dysfunctions have been identified through assessments such as the SFMA, targeted interventions can be implemented to address the root causes of these issues. Corrective exercises aim to improve movement patterns, restore functional mobility, and reduce the risk of future injuries.

An interesting fact about movement assessments in corrective exercise is that they can often reveal hidden asymmetries and weaknesses that aren't apparent in everyday activities. For example, a person might not realize they have a significant imbalance between the strength of their left and right legs until they perform a single-leg squat or similar movement test.

Correcting imbalances is crucial for smooth performance and injury prevention. Identify weak or overactive muscles and address them with specific exercises. For instance, if a client has an overactive chest and weak upper back, rows and rear delt exercises can restore balance. Ensure both sides of the body are equally strong and flexible to support efficient movement

Exercises that require balance, coordination, and complex movement patterns engage the brain in ways that can improve neural connections and boost overall mental sharpness. This means that while you're working to correct muscular imbalances and prevent injuries, you're also giving your brain a workout!

Functional training helps to avoid and recover from injury. Imbalances and asymmetries in common movements are sources of weakness conducive to injuries. By strengthening your body's ability to perform functional movements through exercises that use several muscle groups at the same time, you teach it to work better in harmony. This therefore helps balance natural weaknesses or imbalances, in order to prevent injuries.

Building strength enhances daily task performance. Start with foundational exercises like squats, deadlifts, and push-ups, engaging multiple muscle groups. Progress gradually to ensure proper form and avoid injuries. For instance, someone recovering from knee surgery might start with bodyweight squats before adding weights. Strength training aids recovery and builds resilience against future injuries.

When I design a program for my clients, I take a holistic approach to selecting exercises. I create movements that target multiple muscle groups simultaneously, such as jump squats, planks with shoulder touches, or even kickboxing routines. My goal is to get the whole body moving and engage as many muscle units as possible.

One of the distinctive features of functional training is its holistic approach to strength training. This type of training involves a wide range of muscles during each exercise, resulting in a significant increase in overall strength. Functional exercises work multiple muscle groups at once, helping to develop balanced, functional strength. Another benefit of functional training is improved stability and balance. Many exercises involve considerable effort to maintain balance. This not only strengthens the stabilizing muscles, but also improves coordination and body awareness. The benefit of improved stability extends to daily life, reducing the risk of falls and injuries.

Mobility is crucial for life. Mobility is the joints ability to move freely through a range of motion. When a joint is unable to move properly through a range of motion, you risk pain, injury, bad form etc. Mobility training should be part of every training program. Mobility can be affected by many of our daily activities. For example if you have a long commute, or sit all day the chance of tight hip flexors is high. If you sit with poor posture, rounded forward, or sleep on your side there is a good chance of having shoulder pain when completing certain movements. Focusing on keeping the joints mobile can help prevent injuries, pain and increase overall performance.

Mobility is key to effective movement. It involves moving freely through a range of motion, not just stretching. Include dynamic stretches, foam rolling, and mobility drills. For example, hip flexor stretches and thoracic spine rotations can boost mobility. Consistent mobility work enhances gym performance, daily comfort, and reduces injury risk.

I'm a big fan of dynamic stretches, like arm rotations, leg swings, and deep squats. I’ve learned many mobility-enhancing movements from my Brazilian Jiu Jitsu training, where extreme mobility is essential for grapplers. Warm-up exercises such as shrimping, 90/90s, and hip-ups, although unconventional, are incredibly beneficial and can be effectively incorporated into a regular exercise routine.

Consistency is crucial in any fitness journey. Create a structured plan and stick to it. Encourage clients to incorporate exercise into their daily routine, even if just for a few minutes. Track progress to maintain motivation and adjust the program as needed. Consistent effort leads to gradual improvement, helping clients reach and maintain their goals.

There's a thin line between too intense training and not intense enough. Try to find a good balance by asking for feedback during and after exercises. It makes sense to start with easier exercises and gradually increase the degree of difficulty, to avoid another injury and slowing down the rehabilitation process.