Get Ahead of Injury with a Functional Movement Screening

Most training setbacks do not start as “injuries”. They start as small compromises you train through until your body makes the decision for you. A functional movement screening (FMS), also known as a functional movement assessment, is designed to catch those early, while you still have options.

At Nordic Balance, our functional movement screening is a structured assessment that evaluates how you move through simple patterns and considers both mobility and stability. The goal is to replace guesswork with clear information that helps shape what you should build, and what you should protect and correct as load increases.

Interested? Book an FMS at Nordic Balance today or keep reading to learn more about the benefits of functional screening.

A Functional Movement Assessment that Gives you Clarity

This is a face-to-face functional movement assessment built around a standardised screen. The movements are intentionally accessible across ages and fitness levels; the difference is trained observation and how we interpret what we see.

The outcome is practical. We use the results to identify discrepancies or confirm there are no obvious movement limitations, then translate them into clear next steps.

The functional movement systems approach clearly defines its purpose. It identifies patterns you move well in (that can be developed or loaded) and patterns that are not ideal and require protection and correction, enabling programming decisions with precision and purpose rather than guesswork.

When someone is training for an event such as the London Marathon, higher training volume often quickly exposes small movement limitations. This is one way to get in front of that without overhauling your whole life.

Functional Movement Screening Session Explained

A Functional Movement Screening at Nordic Balance runs for 45 minutes. Conducted in our clinic gyms or treatment rooms, the 7-point functional screen is the first step.

We then perform biomechanical analysis to identify “weak links” such as restricted ankle mobility or core instability, and explain how these patterns may increase your chance of injury during the activities you actually do.

You will also receive a straightforward explanation of the “why” behind what we have seen. This matters because many people are trapped in a cycle of short-term relief and recurring tightness.

Understanding what is driving your movement habits is often when the plan starts to make sense and bridges the gap from passive treatment (like massage) to active improvement.

After the session, you receive a bespoke digital care plan and report by email. This includes your results, a clear breakdown of priorities, a tailored prehab programme designed to mitigate the specific risks identified in your screen, and a pathway recommendation: either a self-guided plan or a transition to coached rehabilitation and strength sessions.

The 7 Functional Movement Exercises

The Functional Movement Screening uses seven exercises to assess mobility, stability, and control across the body.

The movements are simple. What matters is what the patterns reveal about how you move, where you compensate, and what is likely to matter once load and fatigue increase.

The seven tests are the deep squat, hurdle step, in-line lunge, shoulder mobility, active straight-leg raise, trunk-stability push-up, and rotary stability.

If you want to explore a wider library of functional movement exercises, Functional Movement Systems maintains an exercise library you can browse.

Functional Movement Screening for Everyone

A functional movement screening is most useful if you care about mobility.

If you train regularly, the biggest threat to progress is interruption. Small limitations can stay quiet when life is calm, then show up when training load increases, recovery time tightens, or fatigue builds. The screen helps you spot what is worth addressing now, rather than discovering it halfway through a block when you have momentum you do not want to lose.

If you are active but currently pain-free, it can still be valuable. Rather than assuming everything is fine because nothing hurts today, you can identify discrepancies early or confirm there are no obvious movement limitations, then align your plan to what your movement is actually showing.

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And if you spend long hours at a desk, the value is often simple: better movement choices, more intent in what you work on, and less “random” self-prescribing. The screen helps guide what you can confidently develop and load versus what needs protecting and correcting, which is the essence of “no more guessing”.

Booking a Functional Movement Screening in London

Functional Movement Screenings are available to book online at Nordic Balance in St James’s, SW1, Wimbledon and St John’s Hill, Battersea.  For more information or to book, call us on 0207 827 5735.