Functional Movement Assessment

Functional Movement Assessments: Understand How You Move

Have you ever heard your osteo, physio, myo, personal trainer or exercise physiologist talk about “functional movement” or “functional exercises”?
These terms are everywhere in the health and fitness world — but what do they actually mean?

What Is Functional Movement?

Functional movement refers to the natural ways the human body is designed to move in everyday life. These are multi-joint, multi-muscle actions that help us perform essential tasks like bending, squatting, reaching, lifting, pushing, or pulling.

Examples include:

• Push-up: mimics pushing yourself up off the ground.

• Deadlift or squat: replicates lifting something from the floor.

• Overhead press or pull-up: mirrors lifting or pulling an object overhead.

Becoming proficient in these patterns doesn’t just improve gym performance — it helps bulletproof your joints, reduce injury risk, and prevent long-term wear and tear from poor movement mechanics.

Why Functional Movement Matters

When the body moves efficiently, load is distributed evenly across muscles and joints. But when one area becomes weak or restricted, others are forced to compensate — leading to stiffness, strain, or pain.

Improving your movement quality can:

• Decrease pain caused by poor technique or muscle imbalance

• Improve posture and coordination

• Enhance performance and efficiency in sport and daily life

• Reduce your risk of future injury or degeneration

What Is a Functional Movement Assessment?

At Osteopathic Movement South Yarra, we offer a comprehensive one-hour Functional Movement Assessment designed to identify how your body moves — and where it doesn’t.

During your session, your osteopath will take you through a series of movements that reflect your everyday activities and exercise routines, assessing your mobility, stability, balance, and coordination.

These may include:

• Squats and lunges

• Lifting and carrying tasks

• Pushing and pulling actions

• Rotational or overhead movements

From there, your osteopath will identify any movement faults, muscle imbalances, or mobility restrictions that may be contributing to pain or limiting performance.

Immediate and Long-Term Benefits

Small adjustments to technique can often provide immediate pain relief, especially if poor movement habits are the underlying cause. Over time, correcting these patterns helps you rebuild a stronger, more resilient body — improving function and preventing recurring pain.

After your appointment, you’ll receive:

• Personalised notes outlining key findings and corrections

• Tailored exercise recommendations for home or gym use

• Guidance on improving strength, flexibility, and control

The Osteopathic Difference

Osteopaths do far more than “treat bones.” We’re holistic musculoskeletal specialists who look at both the local site of pain and the global movement patterns that may have led to it.

This means we don’t just treat your symptoms — we identify the underlying causes, whether they stem from movement habits, occupational posture, or training technique.

The Takeaway

A Functional Movement Assessment is one of the most effective ways to understand how your body moves and where improvement is needed. By addressing imbalances early, you can prevent injuries, improve performance, and move with greater strength and confidence every day.

Book Your Appointment

If you think a Functional Movement Assessment or standard osteopathic treatment could benefit you, our experienced practitioners are ready to help you move better and feel stronger.

• Meet our South Yarra osteopaths
• Explore our Osteopathic Movement wellness centre
• Book your appointment online

Written by Dr Dayne Sweres (B.AppSci (CompMed), M.Osteo) – Founder, Osteopathic Movement, South Yarra.