Notes on Chapter 9: Principles of an Activity Plan and Functional Movement Assessment (FMA)

Functional Movement Assessment (FMA)

• Purpose: Forms the basis for a successful personalised physical activity plan. Conducting an FMA maximises the likelihood that the plan is Safe, Effective, and Sustainable.
• Core idea: Use an FMA to guide the design of a plan tailored to the individual's capabilities and context.

Elements of an FMA

• Physiological considerations
• Psychological considerations
• Sociocultural considerations
• Informed consent

1) Physiological Considerations

• Guiding principle: Is the participant physically ready to engage in a physical activity plan?
• Key factors to assess:
  • Current levels of fitness
  • Previous / existing injuries
  • Health conditions
• Action: Have the participant complete a PAR-Q (Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire).

2) Psychological Considerations

• Guiding principle: Is the participant mentally and emotionally ready to engage in a physical activity plan?
• Key factors to assess:
  • Motivation
  • Confidence
  • Self-efficacy
• Action: Design the plan to maximise enjoyment.

3) Sociocultural Considerations

• Guiding principle: Does the participant have the required social support to facilitate engagement?
• Key sources of support and potential barriers:
  • Family
  • Peers
  • Sex / Gender
  • Socioeconomic status
  • Cultural beliefs and traditions
• Note: These factors can act as either barriers or enablers.

4) Informed Consent

• Guiding principle: Does the participant understand what is required and the potential risks of the plan?
• Necessary components:
  • Information provided
  • Agreed purpose
  • Understanding of required activities (movement patterns)
• Documentation: Signed documentation by the participant, or a parent/guardian if the participant is under 18.

Strong FMA: Validity, Accuracy, Reliability

• Validity: The FMA should measure what it claims to measure.
• Accuracy: How close the test results are to the actual physical ability or characteristic being measured.
• Reliability: The FMA results must be replicable with consistency.
• If the FMA claims to assess whole-body functional movement, it should include a variety of whole-body movements, not only lower-body or upper-body movements.
• Example of a lower-body assessment: squats and lunge patterns.
• Conditions for a strong FMA:
  • Adequately trained administrators
  • Clear protocols to follow
  • Accurate and high-quality equipment
  • Appropriate and stable environmental conditions and facilities
• Reliability and validity considerations:
  • Perform the same warm-up, or no warm-up if appropriate for the FMA
  • Conduct the same sequence of movements
  • Provide the same recovery period between movements
  • Assess the participant at approximately the same time of day
  • Assess the participant in similar hydration and nutritional states
  • Conduct tests in similar environmental conditions (heat, humidity, air movement)

Creating a Personalised Physical Activity Plan (Chapter 9.4)

Goal Setting (SMARTER Goals)

• S (Specific): Make goals as specific and detailed as possible.
• M (Measurable): Goals should be measurable and assessed against a standard of previous performance; otherwise, there is no way to determine achievement.
• A (Accepted): All parties involved in setting goals (e.g., the individual, trainer, coach) should accept them.
• R (Realistic): Goals should be challenging but achievable; framed positively and focused on improvement.
• T (Time-framed): Set short-term and long-term goals with specific achievement dates.
• E (Exciting): Goals should challenge, excite, and inspire the individual.
• R (Recorded): The agreed goals should be recorded by the individual and trainer/coach to provide a constant reminder and motivation.

Creating the Activity Plan

• After gathering preliminary information about current activity levels and sedentary behaviour, as well as enablers and barriers, an individual plan can be created.

The FITT Principles (Training Principles for the Plan)

• FITT stands for Frequency, Intensity, Time, and Type.

Frequency

• Definition: The number of times a person engages in physical activity within a given time frame.
• Guidelines from the material:
  • Adults can accumulate 3 \times 10\text{ minutes} bouts of moderate intensity a day to meet the recommended 30\text{ minutes} on most days.
  • Children and adolescents (5–17 years) should accumulate 60\text{ minutes} of moderate to vigorous physical activity every day.

Intensity

• Definition: How much effort is required to engage in an activity.
• Measurement approaches:
  • As a percentage of maximum heart rate, where maximum heart rate can be approximated by MHR \approx 220 - \text{age}
  • Through METs (metabolic equivalents)
  • 1 MET = energy (oxygen) used by the body at rest
• Classifications:
  • Light, Moderate, or Vigorous
• Notes:
  • Higher intensity activities increase oxygen consumption and MET level.

VO2max / MET Chart (Conceptual Reference)

• The material provides a chart linking VO2max levels and METs to activity intensity, ranging from sedentary through light, moderate, and vigorous activities.
• Examples of activity intensity categories include sleeping or quiet sitting (very low METs) up to high-intensity activities (e.g., vigorous aerobic work, high-demand tasks).
• Practical takeaway: Use MET ranges to gauge intensity and select activities that meet individual capacity and goals.

Time

• Definition: How long a person is active within a given period.
• General recommendation: A minimum of 30-60\text{ minutes} of physical activity per day or on most days.
• Applicability to age groups:
  • 5–17 years old
  • Adults

Type

• Definition: The mode of activity being undertaken.
• Guideline example: Current Australian Physical Activity Guidelines suggest that adults perform muscle-strengthening activities on at least two days per week.

F.I.T.T Type: Aerobic

• Aerobic activities involve large muscle groups and raise heart rate to:
  • 50\% - 70\% of maximum heart rate for moderate activity
  • 70\% - 85\% of maximum heart rate for vigorous activity
• Examples: jogging, swimming, cycling, rowing

F.I.T.T Type: Strength

• Focus: Target a muscle or muscle group and induce stress by contracting against resistance or weight.
• Resistance options: body weight (e.g., push-ups, squats) or free weights (e.g., bicep curls)

Steps to Creating an Activity Plan

1) Measure the subject’s current activity and sedentary behaviour levels.
2) Evaluate current levels against relevant Australian Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines.
3) Interview the subject about enablers and barriers to physical activity and sedentary behaviour.
4) Set goals using the SMARTER goal-setting model.
5) Create the plan (you may need a separate plan for physical activity and sedentary behaviour).

Evaluating the Plan

• Regular evaluation is vital for long-term effectiveness.
• Evaluation steps:
  • Record current activity and sedentary levels (adherence to guidelines).
  • Compare current levels to initial baselines.
  • If successful: consider slight modifications to maintain progress, motivation, and enjoyment.
  • If not successful: modifications are required; identify and consider barriers.
  • If the same barriers persist, implement a different strategy to overcome them; this may include repeating the FMA or collecting additional information from the participant.

Was the Plan Effective?

• Yes
  • The plan had many positives and met its goals to increase physical activity and decrease sedentary behaviour.
  • It met the participant’s individual needs.
• Somewhat
  • The plan had some positives but did not fully meet all needs or improve activity/sedentary outcomes.
• No
  • The plan had several negatives and did not meet its goals or individual needs.
• Next steps after evaluation:
  • Maintain the positive aspects of the plan, but introduce variety to sustain motivation (e.g., change the location of a run or swap to a different aerobic activity like cycling).
  • Critically review and address negatives.
  • It may be necessary to repeat the FMA or gather additional information to inform changes.
  • Identify any new barriers to participation that were present (e.g., lack of motivation) and consider incorporating activity with family/peers to increase accountability.