POSTURE AND CORE STABILITY

          In the past, man’s survival depended on his ability to search for food and avoid being prey to wild
animals. Traveling from one place to another, man learned how to make technologies to aid them in
hunting until such time that they till their own land and harvest their own crops. Without the helpful
advanced tools, he did so with more physical effort.

          Nowadays, man is now able to sustain himself more efficiently through the advancement in
technologies allowing him now to do other things, especially leisure ones. Unfortunately, on the other
side of these emerging modern technologies, a man’s common choice of activities tends to be sedentary
in nature, such as watching television, playing computer games, and immersing in social media. All these
activities involved prolonged time of sitting which eventually since there are fewer movements, will give
him greater risks of diseases.

          Although modern conveniences may have revolutionized the way man lives, these have not
changed the way the body was designed – for movement.

Fundamental Movement Skills

          Exercising, dancing, and playing sports are physical activities that are beneficial to your health, but
they require a foundation of movement and activity-specific skills. A sound foundation enables you to
confidently pursue any physical activity both for lifelong enjoyment and sporting excellence.

Fundamental Movement Skills (FMS) are basic observable patterns of behavior present from childhood
to adulthood.

Three Skills Group of FMS:

1. Non-locomotor (stabilization skills) – controlled bodily movements that are performed from a

2. Locomotor Skills – involve transporting the body from one place to another.

3. Manipulative Skills – use of the hands, feet, body parts, or an implement to control an object, as
well as sending, receiving, or traveling with an object.

Therefore, the FMS are the building blocks for the development of activity-specific skills (i.e., sports,
dance).

Non-Locomotor Skills

-        These are movements around any joint.

2.     Stretching -        This is done by straightening or extending any part of the body from the joints.
3.     Lifting -        This is done by elevating a part of the body, usually the arms and legs.

4.     Twisting -        This is rotating a body part while the base stays stationary

5.     Rotating -        This is done by a circular movement of the body including the base.

6.     Swinging -        This is done by moving a body part side to side or forward and back, like a pendulum

7.     Swaying -        This is done by shifting weight from one side to the other side smoothly.

8.     Shaking -        This is a short quick vibrating movement in a body part or the whole body.

9.     Pulling -        This is simply executing force to cause the object to move towards one’s body.

-        This is done by applying force against an object or person to move it away from one
10.  Pushing
body.

11.  Balancing -        This is the even distribution of weight which enables you to remain upright and stea

Locomotor Skills

1.     Walking -        a step on one foot followed by the other foot continuously

-        a step on one foot followed by the other foot continuously with longer strides and a
2.     Running
faster speed than walking

3.     Hopping -        a springing on one foot and landing on the same foot

4.     Skipping -        done with a step and a hop using the same foot

5.     Jumping -        springing on one foot or both feet and landing on both feet

6.     Leaping -        springing on one foot and landing on the other foot

7.     Sliding -        gliding on the floor, sideward, or forward using the right and left foot alternately

8.     Galloping -        stepping on one foot and cutting the other, either sideward or forward

Manipulative Skills

1.     Throwing -        thrusting an object into space using the arms

2.     Catching -        stopping the ball or an object with the use of the hands

3.     Kicking -        hitting an object with the foot and leg
4.     Trapping -        stopping a tossed object with the various parts of the body

5.     Striking -        hitting an object with a hand-held object

6.     Rolling -        moving by turning over and over on an axis

7.     Dribbling with hand -        simultaneously or continues to dribble the ball to come to rest in one or both hands

8.     Dribbling with feet -        controlling a ball and traveling using one or both feet

9.     Swimming -        movement of the body through water using the arms and legs

10.   Climbing -        to go upward with gradual or continuous progress

Assessment of Physical Activity Readiness and Levels

          Besides your motor skill competency, identifying your current levels of activity and fitness is crucial
to determining your readiness for physical activities. Also, fitness assessment generally demands
moderate to vigorous effort. Hence, it is necessary to initially assess your physical activity readiness as a
precautionary measure.

International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ)

This was designed specifically for healthy adults (18 – 65 years old) and consisted of four physical activity
domains: (1) during transportation, (2) at work, (3) during household and gardening tasks, and (4) during
leisure time, including exercise and sport participation. This questionnaire assesses the levels (amount
and intensity) and patterns of your physical activity. The results will determine whether you are able to
fulfill the global recommendations on physical activity for health and can be utilized to increase
awareness of your current physical activity levels, as well as to help you set personal goals.

Analysis of IPAQ – CATEGORICAL

Category 1: INACTIVE

          This is the lowest level of physical activity. Those individuals who do not meet criteria for
Categories 2 and 3 are considered ‘insufficiently active.’

Category 2: MINIMALLY ACTIVE

          The minimum pattern of activity to be classified as ‘sufficiently active’ is any one of the following
criteria:

1. three or more days of vigorous activity of at least 20 minutes per day

2. five or more days of moderate intensity activity or walking of at least 30 minutes per day

3. five or more days of any combination of walking, moderate intensity or vigorous intensity
activities achieving a minimum of at least 600 MET-min/week
Category 3: HEPA ACTIVE

          HEPA means health enhancing physical activity which is considered a high and more active
category. This can be computed for people who exceed the minimum public health physical activity
recommendations and are accumulating enough activity for a healthy lifestyle. This is at least 1.5 to 2
hours of ‘being active’ throughout the day.

          The two criteria for classification are:

1. vigorous intensity activity on at least 3 days achieving a minimum of at least 1500 MET-
minutes/week

2. 7 or more days of any combination of walking, moderate intensity or vigorous intensity activities
achieving a minimum of at least 3000 MET-minutes/week

Sample Calculation of MET-minutes/week: