Integrated Movement System
These courses are developed to assist Professionals with the skill needs and requirements of the Fitness Industry Guidelines to maintain Industry currency for registration. This means as a Health & Fitness Professional you are committed to industry standards and ongoing professional development, improvIng your existing skills and developing new ones.
Integrated Movement System
Foundations Course
The Integrated Movement System (IMS) Foundations Course is designed for fitness and healthcare professionals looking to improve their ability to assess and enhance movement. This comprehensive course will teach you how to use the principles of the Integrative Movement System™ – alignment, breathing, and control – to create optimal posture and movement for clients of all ages and abilities.
This course is ideal for health and fitness professionals, physical therapists, chiropractors, and movement specialists who want to enhance their ability to assess and improve client movement and function.
This is an online, self-paced course delivered by IMS
All materials are delivered digitally – through a variety of digital mediums, including written material, video narrated slide presentations, videos of sample exercises, sample forms, and more.
Comprehension of the material will be measured via a mandatory competency assessment requiring a minimum of 80% correct responses.
Course Author: Dr Evan Osar
Course Length: 15 Hours
Course
Overview
You will gain the skills to perform functional assessments of the core, lower extremity and upper extremity. You’ll learn how to identify dysfunctions and develop corrective and functional exercise progressions to restore proper movement and reduce the risk of injury.
Whether you’re working with clients to improve daily function or enhance athletic performance, the IMS Foundations Course equips you with the knowledge to implement evidence-based strategies that lead to long-term success.
You will master the core principles of IMS – alignment, breathing, and control – to create immediate and long-term improvements in your client’s posture and movement patterns, alleviating chronic tension while enhancing overall performance.
By the end of this workshop, you will:
- Gain the skills to work with clients dealing with common medical conditions such as osteoarthritis (spine, hip, and shoulder).
- Apply proven approaches to training clients with issues like low back tightness, disc problems, and spinal stenosis.
- Implement a consistent, reliable process to assess, address, and progress clients with chronic shoulder and hip challenges.
- Walk away equipped with strategies to differentiate yourself in the market and attract clients who value and need your expertise.
Module 1
THORACOPELVIC CYLINDER
Core
Core: Thoracopelvic Cylinder
In this section, participants learn how the principles of the Integrative Movement System™ (IMS) apply specifically to core function, which is key to supporting overall body movement and posture. The thoracopelvic cylinder – a term describing the functional relationship between the thorax (ribcage), spine, and pelvis – plays a vital role in the body’s stability and mobility. Key Learning Objectives:
- Functional Core Assessment: Gain the skills to assess your client’s thoracopelvic cylinder, evaluating the range of motion, stability, and alignment of the trunk, spine, and pelvis.
- Corrective & Functional Exercises: Learn how to implement corrective exercises that enhance core stability, postural control, and movement efficiency. You’ll understand how to create exercise progressions that align with your client’s specific needs, facilitating better breathing mechanics and core engagement.
By mastering these skills, you’ll be able to address common dysfunctions in core movement, such as excessive spinal extension or lack of pelvic control, which can lead to issues like low back pain and poor movement efficiency.
Module 2
HIP, KNEE & ANKLE
Lower Extremity
The Lower Extremity: Hip, Knee, and Ankle
Building on the core principles, this section emphasizes how alignment, breathing, and control impact the function of the hip complex and lower extremities. Proper hip mechanics are critical not only for walking and running but also for preventing injuries in the lower body, including knee and ankle dysfunctions. Key Learning Objectives:
Functional Hip Assessment: Learn how to assess the range of motion and stability in your client’s hip, knee, and ankle-foot complex, identifying areas of restriction or instability that could impact movement patterns.
Exercise Progressions for Lower Body: Utilize the IMS™ to create tailored exercise programs that restore optimal function in the lower extremities. This includes improving hip alignment, knee tracking, and ankle mobility to enhance performance and reduce the risk of injury.
This section is particularly useful for addressing imbalances or compensations that often lead to overuse injuries, such as patellar tracking issues or ankle sprains.
Module 3
THORACOPELVIC CYLINDER
Upper Extremity
The Upper Extremity: Shoulder Complex
In the final part, participants explore how the IMS™ principles apply to the upper body, with a focus on the shoulder complex. The shoulder’s mobility and stability are critical for a wide range of movements, from overhead lifting to daily tasks like reaching and pulling. Key Learning Objectives:
Functional Shoulder Assessment: Develop your ability to assess the range of motion, stability, and alignment of your client’s shoulder complex, ensuring that movement is not compromised by muscular imbalances or joint restrictions.
Exercise Progressions for Upper Body: Apply the IMS™ principles to improve upper body function by addressing shoulder dysfunctions, enhancing scapular stability, and improving shoulder mobility through corrective exercises.
This section is invaluable for those working with clients who experience shoulder impingements, rotator cuff issues, or other upper body limitations that restrict performance and functionality.
More.....
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Approach
Integrated Approach: The IMS™ Foundations Course is designed to provide practitioners with a comprehensive approach to assessing and improving movement throughout the body. By focusing on core, lower, and upper extremity functions, the course enables you to better serve clients with varied movement needs, whether they are recovering from injury, dealing with chronic pain, or looking to enhance athletic performance.
Evidence-Based: The IMS™ is grounded in evidence-based practices, ensuring that the techniques and strategies taught in the course are backed by research and practical application in clinical settings.
By completing the Integrated Movement System Foundations Course, you will gain the confidence and tools to implement a systematic, whole-body approach to improving posture, movement, and overall performance.
Completion
Pre-Requisites Certification Renewals
The Integrated Movement System Foundations Course is registered through the American Council on Exercise (ACE), providing valuable continuing education units (CEUs) for fitness professionals. Since ACE is affiliated with AUSactive, Australian professionals can also obtain continuing education credits (CECs) through this course. To claim your CECs, follow these simple steps:
- Complete the course and receive your certification from ACE.
- Submit your ACE certification to AUSactive for credit recognition.
- AUSactive will verify your course completion and award the appropriate CECs.
This streamlined process ensures that fitness professionals in Australia can enhance their credentials while learning evidence-based practices to improve client outcomes. For more information on CEC’s allocations go to https://ausactive.org.au/members/learning-development/what-is-affiliated-education/
course author
The Integrative Movement System (IMS) was developed by Dr. Evan Osar, Chiropractic Physician and Jenice Mattek, Licensed Massage Therapist.
The IMS has successfully helped thousands of individuals accomplish their health and fitness goals and enabled professionals to differentiate themselves in the industry. The Integrative Movement System” is based upon the principles that guide the development of optimal posture and movement. It is a three-phase process that first guides a client through history and assessment to discover underlying habits contributing to chronic tightness, discomfort, and or inability to perform at an optimal level. Next, the individual is given the most appropriate corrective exercises so that they develop more optimal posture and movement habits.