At Gray Institute®, we use the truths of human movement to inform and guide our treatment and training strategies. We don’t rely on cookie-cutter protocols that ignore people’s individual needs. Instead, we carefully observe our clients and patients, assessing their function. Then, we build customized functional treatments and workouts that help them reach their goals. We call this the Principle–Strategy–Technique Process.

We can apply this process to all activities, programs that prevent injury, post-injury or post-operative rehab, or even to simply boost performance. The difference is not in the movements and exercises, but in the application, emphasis, and sequencing based on the individual’s current level of success.

The difference is not in the movements and exercises, but in the application, emphasis, and sequencing based on the individual’s current level of success.

Rehabilitation Is a Continuum of Integrated Movements

In traditional rehabilitation, movement professionals divide selected aspects of function, like motion, strength, and proprioception, into different phases. There is usually a rigid hierarchy: motion first, then strength, then proprioception and balance.

Gray Institute treats rehabilitation as a continuum where everything is being worked on at the same time and nothing is isolated. If a patient has good strength, we leverage that success to activate the proprioceptors and increase motion. If motion is good, but strength and balance aren’t, then the motion serves as the basis for improving stability and balance. This way, we’re always operating from a position of strength that’s authentic to how people really move.

Adjust Your Treatment, Training, or Rehab Program to Achieve Individual Goals

Depending on who you’re working with, the goal of the training could be flexibility, strength, power, balance, endurance, or all these attributes of functional movement. Other times, your client or athlete might have a specific goal they’re working towards, like improving their mile time.

Using Applied Functional Science®, you can address all these goals using the same program and perspective. The same functional total body movements can be tweaked to emphasize a goal—whether it’s rehab, training, or sports. Gray Institute-educated professionals start where their patient or client is already successful, and then build off that firm foundation by tweaking movements to work toward their goal.

Why Functional Training Is Also Injury Prevention

One of the benefits of functional training using global movements is that programs to enhance training also work on injury prevention.

Injury prevention programs will also enhance performance because injury prevention programs start with movements that can be adjusted later to emphasize a specific goal. In this process, we can identify motions and positions that might cause injuries or address them. We don’t avoid these motions or positions when they’re part of authentic function. Instead, we design a program sequence to ease the client into these motions when they’re able to do so safely.

One of the benefits of functional training using global movements is that programs to enhance training also work on injury prevention.

Movements that are a natural part of a sport or activity only become dangerous when the person is not able to decelerate the movement and then accelerate back. To ensure our patients and clients can do these activities safely, we build on successful movements through subtle progressions. In this way, the client learns to safely and successfully execute movements that might otherwise be considered “dangerous.”

Get Results With Functional Training

Whether it is rehabilitation, improving performance, or preventing injury, programs based on the Principle–Strategy–Technique Process do not avoid movements that are part of function. Rather, they are designed to provide a progression that enhances those movements.

We explore these techniques and processes in one of our cornerstone courses, Certification in Applied Functional Science® (CAFS). The first certification of its kind, CAFS gives you the tools to develop custom assessments, treatment plans, and training programs that are tailor-made for each individual patient or client.  

Get Started With Gray Institute

For over 40 years, Gray Institute has led the movement industry with ground-breaking techniques that empower movement professionals to not only treat and train at the highest level, but also become the go-to expert in their field as well.

To learn more about CAFS, our courses, or to enroll, please reach out. We are always excited to speak with passionate movement professionals and look forward to hearing your story. Get started today by completing this simple online contact form.