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The Functional-Assessment Edge


can easily observe any weaknesses, limitations, imbalances, or asymmetries. For instance, difficulty in performing the in-line lunge can suggest a possible inadequacy in ankle, knee, or hip mobility.


The assessment generates a Functional Movement Screen Score, a baseline that can be used to target problems and track subsequent progress. The system is tied to corrective exercises that can restore mechanically sound movement patterns. FMS is now being marketed by Functional Movement Systems, Inc., in Chatham, Virginia. Practitioners learn the process at the company’s workshops or through home-study, and make use of a prepackaged kit that includes a measuring device, hurdle, and measuring stick. These products, along with an instructional DVD, are also available for purchase from Perform Better, an IHRSA associate member based in Cranston, Rhode Island.


“We’ve seen a sort of culture develop around the program—members become invested; they see their results, and are driven to improve them over time.”


FMS is hardly the only functional-testing protocol. Among the many others that have emerged in recent years are: the Functional Fitness Test for Seniors (FFT), created by researchers Jessie Jones, Ph.D., and Roberta E. Rikli, Ph.D., at California State University, Fullerton; the Tinetti Performance-Oriented Mobility Assessment Tool, developed by Dr. Mary Tinetti, director of the program on aging at Yale University, in New Haven, Connecticut; and an objective series of assessments compiled by the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), of Chandler, Arizona. Additionally, nearly all of the major certifying organizations offer guidelines and testing-centric courses and workshops.


CREATING ADDED-VALUES


Clubs that have introduced functional-assessment testing have discovered that it can add significant value to memberships, leading to greater brand loyalty, improved retention, and an increase in the sale of personal training services.


For Equinox Fitness, the Manhattan-based chain with 56 upscale locations in major U.S. cities, the testing has been a “game-changer.” That’s the conclusion of Geralyn Coopersmith, the national director of the Equinox Fitness Training Institute (EFTI), the company’s in-house educational arm. “I’ve been in this industry for over 20 years, and this is the single biggest paradigm shift I’ve seen in my career,” she enthuses.


She says that training clients without evaluating them first is an unfortunate example of “shooting in the dark.” She also regards it as a huge missed opportunity for clubs that have yet to get onboard. “To not do our due diligence is ridiculous,” she claims.


Geralyn Coopersmith Equinox employs the FMS approach.


Coopersmith’s enthusiasm and conviction are based on the results she’s seen. Equinox has been conducting functional testing at select clubs for just over five


years, and, this year, will make it de rigueur at all its facilities. Every member will undergo a functional screen as part of the one-hour, Equi-fit introductory evaluation.


“It’s proven an amazing sales tool,” Coopersmith reports. “In just minutes, we can give members more


details about their body than they’ve ever gotten from anyone else. We’ve seen a sort of culture develop around the program—members become invested; they see their results, and are driven to improve them over time. In addition, they tend to trust their trainer more. They think, ‘This person is on a different level and really knows what they’re doing.’


“Testing has led to a clear buy-in on the client’s part.” The numbers bear it out.


“We conducted several pilot studies to see if this sort of testing would improve our personal training figures. It did—and even more than we’d expected. In one study, we found the number of people signing up for extra training sessions increased 40%–50%. It’s truly remarkable when you realize that such a small tweak can produce such a significant difference.”


Observes Cook: “These clubs are literally operating with a much higher degree of information than their competitors. They’re differentiating and distinguishing themselves. They’ve individualized the club/client relationship and made the member feel special.”


58 Club Business Internat ional | APRIL 2012 | ihrsa.org


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