What is movement assessment?

Movement assessment involves analyzing an individual's movement patterns to identify any imbalances, instabilities, or inefficiencies that could lead to injuries or impact performance. It is suitably performed by a qualified physical therapist or movement specialist who can observe key movements like overhead pressing, squatting, and running to ensure injury prevention and longevity in training.

For self-assessment, a simple approach involves:

1. Representative Movements: Choose exercises that you frequently perform, such as bench press, pull ups, squats, and deadlifts.
2. Video Recording: Record these movements from different angles (frontal and side) for detailed observation.
3. Analysis Points: Check each joint involved in the movement for symmetry, stability, awareness of technique, and range of motion. Look for discrepancies such as imbalances or instability during the movements.

This assessment typically focuses on ensuring that each movement is performed with adequate stability and symmetry to avoid injury and maintain effective training practices 1 2.