Which movement is NOT listed as a common movement to look at during functional movement analysis?

• A. Walking
• B. Running
• C. Stairs
• D. Unilateral squat

Answer: (B)

Functional movement analysis looks at fundamental tasks that load the knee in daily, controlled patterns to reveal how the joint and surrounding muscles coordinate during typical activities. Walking is a primary gait pattern that shows how the knee tracks through the cycle. Climbing or descending stairs stresses the knee in a weight-bearing, controlled way and highlights how the leg absorbs load during ascent and descent. A unilateral squat specifically tests single-leg strength, stability, and movement control, exposing side-to-side differences and compensations that may not appear in bilateral tasks.

Running, while valuable in sport or advanced assessments, is not usually listed as a common movement in a basic functional movement analysis because it introduces higher speed, impact, and variability that go beyond the routine patterns these analyses are designed to screen for. Thus, running is not included among the common movements typically analyzed.