Understanding Functional Movement Yoga:
Strengthening Your Body for Everyday Life
Functional movements are the foundation of how we navigate our daily lives. These are the movements essential for living in a multiplanar world, aptly named "Functional Movements" because they enable us to function effectively.
Some examples include:
- Reaching the top shelf
- Bending over to pick something up
- Carrying a laundry basket (or a child)
- Sitting at a desk
- Leaning over a sink to wash your hands
- Squatting to pick up a small child (or use the restroom)
- Washing your hair
- Standing in a line
- Walking anywhere
Functional movements are rooted in biomechanics, which is the study of how physics applies to our biological systems as we move and interact in physical spaces. This includes everything from the cellular level to the whole body. When we stretch and move, we affect not only the targeted area but also every bit of tissue down to the cellular level. For example, a twisting yoga pose stretches the muscles of the torso and compresses and stretches the tissues that make up your organs.
What is Functional Movement Yoga?
Functional Movement Yoga integrates the principles of biomechanics into traditional yoga practices. It combines yoga poses with functional movement exercises, emphasizing core engagement as the foundation of all movement.
Your core is the lower half of your torso, including your abdomen, side body, and back. It acts as a cylindrical canister with a top (respiratory diaphragm) and bottom (pelvic floor). Together, these components create intra-abdominal pressure, a solid mass that stabilizes all movements. The better you connect with and engage your core, the better your whole body will function.
When your core is weak, other muscles compensate, which can lead to overuse and pain. For example, when the core isn't functioning well, back muscles may take on more work than they're designed to, leading to fatigue and back pain. Sedentary activities such as sitting at a desk, driving, or standing for long periods can contribute to improper muscle function, often leading to pain and discomfort.
Here’s a little video which shows how slight changes to a movement to incorporate function make a huge difference.
Forward Folds in Yoga with Functional Movement Applied
The Role of Functional Movement
Functional movement exercises mimic everyday activities, such as getting up from the floor, carrying heavy objects, or reaching for something on a high shelf. By working the muscles in the way they are used in these tasks, functional movement reduces the risk of injury. When practiced regularly, such as in yoga, these movements become habitual, promoting better balance, endurance, strength, and flexibility.
The Benefits of Functional Movement Yoga
Yoga is already a safe and gentle form of exercise suitable for almost everyone, and Functional Movement Yoga takes this a step further. It incorporates modern biomechanical science into poses and transitions, moving away from traditional yoga alignments and arbitrary cues to evidence-based movement that works with your body rather than against it.
In yoga, cues are often passed down orally, much like a game of telephone. Over time, these cues can lose their original meaning or become outdated. For example, the common cue to "square your foot to the short edge of the mat" in Warrior II can lead to extreme external rotation of the back leg, potentially causing hip joint issues. Functional Movement Yoga offers cues that protect and nourish the hip joint, preventing injuries like labrum tears and the need for hip surgery.
Functional Movement Yoga is gentle and safe, utilizing your own body weight for strength training. Unlike more intense forms of strength training, such as HIIT or weightlifting, it requires minimal to no equipment and focuses on improving function rather than bulking up or achieving extreme poses. This makes it a prime choice for people of all ages, experience levels, and conditions. It's particularly beneficial for supporting pregnancy and birth recovery as it counters all of the biomechanical changes pregnancy and birth can cause.
Conclusion
Functional Movement Yoga enhances your ability to move through life with ease and confidence. By focusing on exercises and yoga poses that mirror real-life activities, you improve your overall health on a holistic level. Your quality of life is enhanced as you rest assured that your yoga practice supports how your body works, rather than merely achieving superficial aesthetics. No matter which season of life you are in, Functional Movement Yoga offers a practical, accessible, and effective exercise to support your lifelong wellness and enjoyment of living in your human form.
Ready to dive in to Functional Movement Yoga?
Join me in any of my classes! I weave Functional Movement into all of my teaching.
PLUS Coming Soon! Core + Pelvic Floor Functional Yoga class will be offered in just a few weeks. In this NEW CLASS we will focus on tapping into the power of your core. You will learn how to move well and in ways which apply to every day movements AND any yoga style you enjoy.
