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Sometimes yoga is labelled a "non-functional" movement practice.

In response, new systems or versions of yoga are created that are claimed to be *more functional*.

These systems are sometimes labelled "functional yoga" or are described as yoga with functional movement included.

In the fitness/strength & conditioning world, there is also a "functional training" trend, which focuses on certain exercises that are believed to be more functional than others.

What does “functional” mean in relation to movement?

What does "functional" mean in these contexts?

Yoga poses that are “pretzel-like” are often claimed to be non-functional.

Functional movement actually lacks a universal definition, which really complicates matters.

But . . .

One classic definition for functional movement is that it's movement with “real-world carryover”. Functional movements help us perform daily life tasks better. (Or sport-specific tasks if we're an athlete.)

By this definition, many people consider "pretzel"-like yoga poses, deep ranges of motion, and passive stretching to be non-functional, and they update their yoga classes accordingly.

shoulder controlled articular rotations — Shoulder joint circles (often called “CARs” or “controlled articular rotations” are often claimed to be “functional”.

In functional types of yoga, those non-functional movements are eliminated, and practices including active range of motion, mobility drills, and joint circles are emphasized.

Other terms that are commonly used synonymously with "functional movement" are

"fundamental movement patterns"
"natural movement"
"healthy movement."

How do we determine whether a movement is “functional”?

It turns out that determining whether a movement has real-world carryover isn't as simple as whether or not that movement *looks like* a movement we do in daily life (or in a sport).

For example, any time we strengthen a muscle, we're increasing our capacity, which helps us move through our life more easefully.

This means that pretty much all strength work is "functional," regardless of what it looks like!

And yoga poses that are often considered non-functional on first glance can often be quite functional.

For example, reverse prayer pose is often dropped from "functional" styles of yoga because when would we place our hands in prayer behind our back in daily life?

But reverse prayer helps us improve range of motion when reaching behind us, which is very relevant for fastening a bra or for reaching for your child in the car seat behind you when driving.

And headstand, shoulder stand, and handstand can help us build strength, endurance, and capacity in our upper body. These qualities are always functional!

Research on “Functional Movement”

Ultimately, "functional movement" is a meaningless term unless it's used within the context of *who* the movement is functional for and *why*.

In fact, there was an eye-opening review paper published last year by a team of exercise scientists titled “Is there any Non-functional Training? A Conceptual Review.”

In it, they write:

“This conceptual review aimed to investigate whether ‘functional training’ (FT) programs are different from traditional strength, power, flexibility, and endurance training programs.

The main results were: 1) there is no agreement about a universal definition for FT; 2) FT programs aim at developing the same benefits already induced by traditional strength, power, flexibility, and endurance training programs; 3) exercises employed are also the same.

Aiming to avoid confusion and misconceptions, and based on the current evidence, we recommend that the terms FT, high-intensity FT, and functional fitness training no longer describe any physical training program.”

In general, a science-based approach to the term “functional movement” is to only use this term within the context of a specific individual and their individual movement goal.

“Functional movement” (and its related derivates) as a general description for a style of movement or training is a meaningless term that lacks substance and definition, and is inherently confusing due to the lack of any standard definition.

For clear and accessible communication, let’s use other descriptors for movement that are universally understood!

There's SO much more to this rich and nuanced topic, so please check out episode 3 of the Yoga Meets Movement Science podcast for the full conversation!