Why We Complete a Movement Screening for New Clients
Incorporating movement into our day is vital for our physical and mental health. That is why it’s so important to make sure you are exercising in a way that caters to your body’s physical abilities! Understanding how your body moves and your current limitations will help guide you in setting and meeting your personal fitness goals, your workouts, and your daily habits. That’s why an initial movement screening is a huge part of getting to know our clients - and why they see so much success.
At CORE57, our Movement screening has become a useful tool for analyzing a person’s movement and what influences the way they exercise. The way a person moves can be affected by age, activity level, prior injury, posture, limb length, and more.
We use movement screenings to help our trainers understand how these factors impact your movement and physical abilities so that they can customize a fitness program for you that meets your specific needs and capabilities.
Our movement screening process gives us the ability to create a better experience for clients. We checked in with our founder, Kolleen, to give you guys the full scoop on why we prioritize these screenings for our clients and the difference they can make.
What is a movement screening?
“A movement screen is a simple test that I use to identify how clients move,” says Kolleen. “I can identify when a client does not have the proper range of motion in the ankles, hips and shoulders.” When assessing range of motion and movement ability, Kolleen is also looking at things like
how the muscles may be compensating for a limited range of motion
how well you balance
whether or not you are recruiting proper muscle complexes
What does a movement screening tell us about a client?
Once the screening is complete, we are able to take that information and really dig into creating the right kind of wellness program for you. “A movement screening can lead to a deeper discussion about why they are compensating,” says Kolleen. “Sometimes the clients forget to tell me about a past injury and I can identify it in the screening.”
Building your customized wellness programming
A movement screen tells us a great deal of information, but we don’t stop there. We also discuss a client’s personal goals and motivations for making a change in their fitness routine. This additional information helps us to formulate a fitness prescription specifically for you.
For many of our clients who are used to working out on their own or have previously been active in group fitness programs, having someone tailor programming to their needs and their bodies can be a big change.
“I really take the time to discuss the findings and explain to them what is going on in their body that they might not be aware of. I also share that information with all of our trainers so that they can be prepared for the clients when they come to the first class,” says Kolleen.
CORE57 trainers are able to use the information from these screenings to help you modify and even level-up your exercises in semi-private training sessions and classes so that you are working towards your personal fitness and wellness goals.
Knowing that every client’s ability level, body, hormone levels, injury history and goals are unique to them has been a driving force in the way we craft our programming and training sessions here at CORE57. We want to really understand our clients and how their bodies are working so we can help strengthen and improve their capabilities as they push toward their personal fitness goals.
When should I have a movement screening?
We include a movement screening in your initial client assessment at CORE57. Typically there is not a need for a “reassessment”, especially if you are a regular client and we are able to monitor and track your process in classes each week.
If you follow the plan and we do our jobs as trainers, we will all see a difference in how you are moving in classes. “The important thing to remember is that It takes time,” says Kolleen. “I explain that we have to get the structure of their body solid before we can push too hard. We would never build a house on a weak foundation. The body is the same way.”
If you’re looking for a personalized approach to reaching your overall wellness goals, we’d love to connect with you. Whether you’re just starting your fitness journey, rehabbing an injury, or recommitting to yourself and your personal wellness, CORE57’s approach to tailor-made fitness programming can be a game changer for you.
Get in touch today to find out more about our new client offer and to schedule your screening!