Key Findings
- Movement Reflects Identity: The way individuals move is a direct expression of their physical state and mental awareness. Improving movement patterns can enhance self-awareness and confidence.
- Empowerment Through Movement: Encouraging clients, especially those who feel intimidated by movement, fosters a sense of empowerment. Functional movements, such as getting on and off the floor, are essential for maintaining independence and overall well-being.
- Joint Awareness is Crucial: Understanding joint positioning and maintaining optimal balance are foundational to effective movement. Relearning these skills can prevent injuries and improve functional performance.
- Focus Beyond Pain Relief: Effective physical therapy and movement training should encompass a spectrum of wellness, addressing not only pain but also overall functionality and resilience. A personalized approach is vital for achieving lasting results.
- Progressive Training Matters: Restoring mobility alone is insufficient; stability and strength must be built progressively. This requires a careful assessment and structured plan tailored to the individual's capabilities.
Functional movement refers to exercises or activities that mimic real-life movements and improve the ability to perform everyday tasks efficiently and safely. These movements engage multiple muscle groups, emphasizing coordination, stability, and strength across the body. Functional movement often involves natural patterns such as pushing, pulling, squatting, lifting, twisting, bending, and walking.
Why is Functional Movement Important?
It Improves Everyday Activities: Functional movement training enhances the ability to perform daily tasks, such as carrying groceries, climbing stairs, or bending to pick up objects. This is especially beneficial as people age or recover from injuries.
It Builds Strength and Stability: These exercises develop core stability, balance, and strength, which are essential for overall physical health and injury prevention.
It Helps to Prevent Injuries: By mimicking real-world motions, functional movement prepares the body to handle stress and reduces the risk of injury during both routine and strenuous activities.
It Enhances Athletic Performance: Functional exercises improve coordination, agility, and power, which are critical for athletes looking to enhance performance in their specific sports.
It Encourages Efficient Movement Patterns: It retrains the body to move in optimal ways, correcting imbalances and poor posture, which are often the root causes of pain and dysfunction.
It Promotes Longevity and Healthspan: Maintaining the ability to move functionally contributes to healthy aging, allowing individuals to remain active and independent for longer periods.
Functional movement has always defined my approach to physical therapy and training. To me, watching how someone moves reveals so much about their body, their mindset, and how they express themselves in the world. When I work with clients, my goal is to improve their movement patterns, which not only enhances their physical health but can also expand their consciousness and self-awareness.
Movement as Expression
Movement is not just about physicality; it reflects who we are. When we feel strong and capable in our bodies, we feel empowered. I love working with clients, especially women, who may feel intimidated by movement. I often say, “Let’s get you down on the floor and back up again.” It’s a powerful experience, especially for those who might not believe they can move freely.
For example, my mother, who is 91, just had a knee replacement but continues to inspire me. Despite her joint issues, she can kneel, lunge, roll, squat, and get up from the floor with the agility of someone much younger. These basic movements are essential to maintaining independence and mobility as we age.
The Importance of Joint Awareness
Understanding where our joints are in space is crucial for maintaining functional movement. We need to create joint centration and optimal balance, learning to engage our core to lift safely and effectively. Unfortunately, many of us lose sight of these fundamental movement patterns over time, often due to a lack of emphasis on functional training in our youth. At Jyzen, we help clients relearn these vital skills.
Neurodevelopment
Early in life, as our brain and body develop, our nervous system form neural pathways and motor programs that literally control our human posture, movement and gait. This ‘motor control’ is largely established during the first critical years of life. Yet, through disuse, sedentary behavior or injuries —our motor system can be altered- this is how chronic pain and faulty movement patterns occur.
This is why in our work, we emphasize the neurodevelopmental aspects of motor control in order to assess and restore maladaptive dysfunction of the human locomotor system which can result in postural and movement dysfunctions.
At Jyzen, we have accelerated solutions for the body.
We serve as the bridge between injury recovery and full functionality. Our aim is to empower clients so they can navigate the world confidently without fear of reinjury. This sense of resilience is not just about avoiding pain; it's about enhancing performance in daily life.
Athletic Foundations in Functional Movement
My passion for functional movement stems from my 30 years in athletics, where I’ve had the privilege of working alongside some of the best professionals in sports medicine and chiropractic care, including Dr. Masket at Cal. My experience as an educator in active release techniques and biomechanics has informed my understanding of mobility and stability.
Restoring mobility is important, but it is only one piece of the puzzle. Stability is the foundation that allows us to progress safely to strength training. This process must be approached progressively, ensuring that clients build their abilities step by step.
A Shift in Perspective
In traditional physical therapy, the focus often rests solely on pain relief. However, at Jyzen, we take a different approach. We look at the entire spectrum of wellness. We aren’t bound by insurance constraints, allowing us to take the time necessary to understand our clients’ unique situations and goals.
Every individual deserves a personalized plan that addresses not just their injuries but their overall health and performance aspirations. This comprehensive understanding is what sets our practice apart.
Reclaiming Your Movement
Functional movement is about more than just getting from point A to B. It’s about reclaiming the joy of movement, understanding our bodies, and feeling confident in our abilities. At Jyzen, we are committed to helping our clients discover this empowerment through movement.
As I guide my clients through their journeys, I see firsthand the transformative power of reconnecting with their bodies. Each step taken toward better movement is a step toward a more fulfilling life. Movement expresses who we are, and when we embrace that, we truly begin to thrive.
Action Steps for Patients Interested in Booking with Tammara
- Schedule a Consultation: Contact Jyzen to book an initial appointment with Dr. Tammara Moore or another practitioner in our Body Optimization department. During this appointment you can discuss your specific concerns, goals, and any previous injuries or limitations.
- Prepare for Your Appointment: Before your first session, reflect on your movement history and any challenges you face in daily activities. Consider keeping a journal of your movements or any pain points to share during the consultation.
- Set Personal Goals: Think about what you want to achieve through functional movement therapy. Whether it’s improving mobility, gaining strength, or enhancing overall body awareness, having clear goals will help our team tailor your program effectively.
- Stay Open to Learning: Embrace the journey of relearning movement patterns and improving your body awareness. Approach each session with a willingness to learn and an openness to new ways of moving.
- Engage in Progress Tracking: Keep track of your progress by noting improvements in your movement, strength, and confidence over time. Share these observations with our staff during your sessions to help refine your program. We can also track your mobility and movements through technologies like Kinotek to track progress over time.
If you are interested in working with our Body Optimization department at Jyzen, please contact our Bodyworks Manager, Sophia Chung. You may call 415-729-0441 or email bodywork@jyzen.com to begin your journey to better health today.