“Why does The BioMechanics Method start the corrective exercise process with a structural assessment instead of movement analysis?” This is a common question we are asked, and it is a good one. The answer is simple, and it is all about the process by which people learn.
If you want to help a person learn to read a book, for example, you don’t start off by handing them the book and asking them to decipher it. You begin with teaching them the building blocks of reading, and have them learn the individual letters and words first. Once they understand the components of words, and how words are fashioned together to tell a story, the person can then progress to reading the book – or anything they want!
The exact same rules apply to learning to read the human body. Like a book, movement is a complex symphony of individual elements. These elements work together to produce motion. If a health, fitness or exercise professional first masters the individual components of the body, and understands how those are structured when stationary, they can more easily progress to reading the body when it is in motion.
Knowing the difference between structural assessments and movement analysis, and executing them in the right order, is the key to designing corrective exercise programs that will effectively address the root cause of chronic pain and dysfunction.
Structural Assessments: Evaluating the Parts
A structural assessment is an evaluation of the body at rest, typically while standing. You learn how bones should be aligned and how misalignment in one area can impact other areas of the body, creating a domino effect across the entire kinetic chain.
For example:
When conducting a structural assessment of a client’s feet and ankles you might observe that their feet are overpronated. In addition to indicating that the person’s feet are out of alignment, the results of this static assessment also tell you that their ankles collapse inward causing their knees to roll inward as well. These misalignments in the lower leg affect the alignment of the upper leg. The thigh rotates inward too, shifting the hip socket back and causing an anterior pelvic tilt. In turn, this creates excessive lumbar lordosis (an over-arched lower back). This disruption travels all the way up, causing rounded shoulders and a forward head posture. You can use additional structural assessments to gauge the severity of misalignment in those other areas to help you determine what imbalances need addressing with a corrective exercise program.Â
Using static assessments to view a client at rest can also help accurately predict how their body will behave once it starts moving.
For example:
If you discover that a client’s lower back arches too much when they are simply standing, then they will likely overarch their lower back when performing movements that require putting the spine into extension (e.g. reaching up to serve a tennis ball overhand).
Mastering this foundational framework is critical and the reason why structural assessments are taught in detail during our foundational course, The BioMechanics Method Corrective Exercise Specialist (TBMM-CES) certification.
Movement Analysis: Evaluating the Whole
Once you understand how the body is connected and works in a static position, it is time to progress to movement analysis. This process evaluates how those individual parts move and influence the entire body during every day functional activities like walking (gait), squatting, lunging, twisting, bending, and/or playing sports.
For example:
When conducting a movement analysis of a client’s knees, you might discover that they do not bend effectively. If the person cannot bend their knees effectively, they might have difficulty squatting because the ankles, knees and hips should all bend together when performing that activity. Impaired knee flexion capabilities may result in the client compensating elsewhere (like leaning forward excessively instead) to make up for the lack of forward bend in their knees.
Structure and Movement are Inherently Related
The results from your structural assessments and movement analyses inform you about both a client’s structure and their movement. It also reveals the very important, two-way relationship between the two.
How Structure Affects Movement
Long-standing structural imbalances limit how a body can move.
For example:
If a client has an internally rotated arms and a rounded upper back, it will be physically difficult for them to extend their upper back to look over their head. To compensate for this structural limitation, they will likely overarch their lower back or neck instead to perform that movement.
Furthermore, structural issues often cause joint inflammation, signaling surrounding muscles to lock down and tighten up to prevent movement.
How Movement Affects Structure
Conversely, habitual movement patterns physically reshape structural alignment over time.
For example:
A client might wear a type of footwear that for years causes them to overpronate while walking. Over time, their ankles collapse, their pelvis rotates forward, and their lower back settles into a painful, chronically overly-arched position. When the person eventually seeks help for lower back pain, their structural assessment will reveal the excessive arch in their lower back. However, that structural imbalance is the direct result of a long-term movement dysfunction that started in their feet and ankles.
This advanced movement analysis process is the core focus of our advanced course, The BioMechanics Method Advanced Corrective Exercise Specialist (TBMM-AdCES) certification.
Mastering both structural assessment and movement analysis is key to helping clients overcome painful limitations, move with ease, and realize goals they never thought possible. However, the real magic isn’t just about the science of understanding a client’s body. The ultimate goal is to truly connect with them. Introducing The BioMechanics Method structural assessment and movement analysis processes with care and intention (as taught in our courses) enables you to lay the groundwork for a deeply supportive partnership rooted in teamwork, education, empowerment, and trust.
Educating, Empowering, and Building Trust
Progressing deliberately from structural assessments to movement analysis is not just helpful for the professional. It is also a powerful tool to improve client relationships and build trust in your programs. Your typical client will not understand complex anatomy and kinesiology, and throwing them straight into movement analysis can easily overwhelm them.
By starting with the structural assessment process, you meet clients where they are and begin helping them learn about their bodies. The use of structural assessments allows you to explain the individual pieces of the client’s body first, in a clear and manageable way, before asking them to comprehend how those pieces move together as an integrated system.
This logical approach to learning changes the entire dynamic of your sessions. Instead of just performing a clinical evaluation, you are actively educating and empowering your client. They can finally see the clear, understandable causes behind their chronic pain and movement limitations, which build trust in you and the corrective exercise process. By removing the technical jargon and tailoring your explanations to their unique learning style, you foster a collaborative teamwork approach to their recovery. They no longer feel like a passive observer, but rather an active partner, making them far more likely to stay committed to their recommended homework exercises and experience lasting relief.
Once you have successfully set the stage for long-term success by using structural assessments to build a client’s confidence, body awareness, and commitment to the program, you can introduce the movement analysis process. With their trust secured and a clear understanding of how their individual pieces work, they can step into dynamic exercises and movements with a sense of hope and a clear vision of what you together can ultimately achieve.
Learn a complete process for performing structural assessments in Module 1 of The BioMechanics Method Corrective Exercise Specialist (TBMM-CES) certification course.
Learn the process for performing a complete movement analysis in Module 1 of The BioMechanics Method Advanced Corrective Exercise Specialist (TBMM-AdCES) certification course.
