Performance on the Functional Movement Screen in older active adults

The Functional Movement Screen (FMS™) has become increasingly popular for identifying functional limitations in basic functional movements. This exploratory and descriptive study was undertaken to confirm feasibility of performing the FMS™ in older active adults, assess prevalence of asymmetries and to evaluate the relationship between functional movement ability, age, physical activity levels and body mass index (BMI).

This is an observational study; 97 men (n = 53) and women (n = 44) between the ages of 52 and 83 participated. BMI was computed and self-reported physical activity levels were obtained. Subjects were grouped by age (5-year intervals), BMI (normal, over-weight, and obese) and sex. Each participant's performance on the FMS™ was digitally recorded for later analysis.

The youngest age group (50-54 years) scored highest in all seven tests and the oldest age group (75+) scored lowest in most of the tests compared to all other age groups. The subjects in the "normal weight" group performed no different than those who were in the "overweight" group; both groups performed better than the "obese" group. Of the 97 participants 54 had at least one asymmetry. The pairwise correlations between the total FMS™ score and age (r = -0.531), BMI (r = -0.270), and the measure of activity level (r = 0.287) were significant (p < 0.01 for all).

FMS™ scores decline with increased BMI, increased age, and decreased activity level. The screen identifies range of motion- and strength-related asymmetries. The FMS™ can be used to assess functional limitations and asymmetries. Future research should evaluate if a higher total FMS™ score is related to fewer falls or injuries in the older population.