Body By Design, Inc. (2025)

22/11/2025

How do we really test movement?
The best assessments are upright, active, dynamic, integrated, 3D, and move your center of mass—just like real life. If you want results that truly transfer, your tests should look like your goals.
Here’s what makes a movement assessment truly functional (not just “interesting data”):
🔹 Comprehensive

We look at the whole person, not one joint or muscle at a time. Real movement is a chain reaction—feet, hips, spine, and shoulders all influence each other. This helps us find the culprit, not just chase the victim of your pain.
🔹 Actionable

Your results immediately guide what we do next: specific exercises, progressions, and retesting. You see a clear path from “here’s the problem” to “here’s how we’ll fix it and measure change.”
🔹 Real-world

We test movements you actually care about: walking, stairs, lifting, reaching, rotating, playing. Upright, weight-bearing, 3D, center-of-mass moving—so your gains show up in daily life, not just in the clinic.
🔹 Customizable

No two bodies or histories are the same. Your assessment data is used to design a plan tailored to your goals, job, sport, and limitations—no cookie-cutter programs.
If you’re ready for an assessment that looks like real life and leads to real results, send me a message to get started.

21/11/2025

Is pain quietly shrinking your world?

If you’re 35+ and dealing with nagging back, knee, hip, or shoulder pain, you’ve probably tried “resting it,” random YouTube exercises, or even traditional PT… and still don’t feel like yourself.

At Body By Design, I use advanced 3D biomechanical assessment tools (3DMAPS + Spark Motion) to see how your whole body moves in real life — walking, reaching, bending, turning. Then we build a personalized, 7-week functional rehab plan that fits your actual life, not a cookie-cutter protocol.

That means:
• One-on-one, 60-minute sessions in a quiet corner of a 18,000 sq ft gym in New Rochelle, NY
• Clear home exercises (15–20 minutes a day) with video guidance
• A focus on getting you back to what you love — walking, golf, pickleball, playing with your kids or grandkids — without fear of re-injury

If you’re tired of chasing symptoms and ready to fix the real problem, I’d be happy to talk.

👉 Comment “INFO” or send me a DM and I’ll share how my 90-minute 3D movement evaluation works, plus current availability and pricing.

14/11/2025

In fitness, we often hear about 'turning on' muscles. But real movement isn’t about consciously firing a muscle—it's about creating the proper joint motions so your body naturally activates what it needs.

Applied Functional Science (AFS) teaches us that movement, not just muscle focus, is the key to effective training. Instead of isolating the glutes or abs, we use three-dimensional movements—such as lunges and reaches—that subconsciously teach the body to activate the right muscles for the task.

For example, to truly engage the left glute, we use lunges and arm movements in all three planes, creating the lengthening and joint motions that turn on the muscle through natural mechanics. This is the science behind Applied Functional Science: train movements, not just muscles, for better results in life and sport. Movement instructions to patients/clients focus on an action or task we want them to execute. It could be a lunge, squat, or reach. It could create a visual image, such as “think about quickly grabbing an object and placing it here.” Instructions are designed to create a Chain Reaction® that produces the desired joint motions.

This approach to training and rehabilitation programs is consistent with the dynamical systems approach to movement and motor control. Generalized motor programs, lacking ex*****on specifics, are activated to accomplish the task. The specific joint motions and the muscle synergy created by these motions are modified, in real-time, as the movement progresses. Different combinations of motions and muscles can accomplish the same task. Practitioners can serve their clients well by adjusting tasks to “teach” the body different ways to coordinate its resources and create effective and efficient movement.

Ready to move smarter? DM for an assessment or visit bobfanelli.com.

12/11/2025

Strategies to Leverage the 3 Planes of Motion to Enhance Functional Movements

In Applied Functional Science® (AFS), a foundational principle is that all human movement occurs in three planes—sagittal, frontal, and transverse. This 3D principle is not just theoretical: it drives practical strategies for assessment, rehabilitation, and performance enhancement in my practice at Body By Design.

In my clinic, I use the 3D Movement Analysis and Performance System (3DMAPS) to objectively assess movement capacity in each plane. 3DMAPS allows me to identify where clients demonstrate relative success and where there are limitations. Because every global movement creates coupled actions across all planes, we can never truly isolate one plane. Instead, we leverage the interplay of planes to optimize functional outcomes.

For example, if a client demonstrates strong right hip extension but limited abduction, I begin with a left foot anterior lunge (maximizing extension), then gradually adjust the lunge angle laterally. This progression transitions the demand from extension to abduction, using the client’s successful pattern to restore motion in a weaker plane.

Similarly, if hip flexion control is limited, I might prescribe a posterior-lateral reach (combining flexion, adduction, and internal rotation), then progressively tweak the reach angle to emphasize pure flexion. This approach utilizes the concept of motor abundance and the dynamical systems theory—by manipulating task constraints, we allow the neuromuscular system to discover more efficient and robust movement solutions.

The science is clear: 3D strategies, guided by objective assessment with 3DMAPS, enable us to build on a client’s strengths and systematically address deficits. This evidence-based, individualized approach is at the heart of how I help clients move better, recover faster, and prevent injury.

11/11/2025

**Training Truths in Movement**

When we move through life, we never consciously activate specific muscles. Instead, our bodies select the joint motions needed to accomplish the task. Our training should reflect that truth—by designing exercises that create the right joint motions, not by telling you to "squeeze your glutes" or "use your quads more."

The goal of a movement might be to create a particular joint motion in a specific plane, or a combination from each plane, often to lengthen and activate a targeted muscle group. But instead of instructing "use more dorsiflexion with that lunge," we adjust the task—like changing the direction of a squat with reach—to naturally require more of the desired muscles. This way, the exercise itself “asks” your body a movement question, and your body provides a movement solution.

Task-driven movements aren’t just for training and rehab—they help us establish baselines for successful movement. We analyze how the body prefers to solve the movement challenge. If the solution isn’t ideal, we tweak the task, not micromanage the motion.

This approach matches the dynamical systems view of motor control: your body adapts in real time, using different combinations of motions and muscle synergies to achieve the goal. As practitioners, we “teach” the body new ways to coordinate movement by tweaking the tasks, not prescribing rigid instructions.

A great example is lengthening the left gluteal muscles. The glutes of the left hip cause extension, abduction, and external rotation. So to lengthen them, the movement should create flexion, adduction, and internal rotation—like an anterior lunge, a lunge to the right, and a rotational lunge to the right. Adding arm reaches can further enhance these effects, acting as a “top-down” driver.

06/11/2025

🌟 It’s Not Just the Shoulder! 🌟

Often, with shoulder problems, the shoulder gets the blame. But it's not just the shoulder’s fault! It’s really “the hip, through the trunk, through the scapula, through the humerus, through the shoulder’s” fault. Applied Functional Science (AFS) teaches us that it’s the Chain Reaction. 🔗

The scapula has 17 major muscle attachments, making the shoulder a massive unit with connections to the rib cage, sternum, clavicle, scapula, humerus, thoracic spine, lumbar spine, and the rest of the body. 🦴 The criss-cross orientation of the many muscles of the scapula, combined with appropriate scapular movement, results in an effective scapular complex. A lack of stimulation and 3-dimensional motion can create issues. ⚠️

To load our shoulder in the transverse, frontal, and sagittal planes, we let gravity, ground reaction, and the momentum of our body load the muscles (scapula muscles, back muscles, hip muscles, posterior/anterior muscles) eccentrically so we can concentrically produce the needed force. 💥

Proper scapular loading requires functional stimulation to gain strength. In order to throw, lift, or do anything, the body first goes the opposite way (unloading). The scapula will react to what the trunk is doing. 🔄

When training, conditioning, and rehabilitating, understanding the function of the shoulder, scapula, humerus, and each muscle is crucial. Transforming that knowledge into prevention and rehabilitation programs creates a healthy and strong shoulder.

👉 Ready to improve your shoulder health? DM me for personalized advice! 💬

www.bobfanelli.com
Bob Fanelli, MSc, FAFS
Fellow of Applied Functional Science
Exercise Physiologist

03/11/2025

Unlock the science behind pain-free movement.

Ever wondered why some injuries linger, even after PT? Discover how Applied Functional Science (AFS) uses advanced biomechanical analysis to uncover the root cause—not just the symptoms.

At Body By Design, we map your entire kinetic chain, revealing hidden dysfunctions and compensations in real-life movement patterns. Our 3DMAPS and Spark Motion tech let you see your progress, not just feel it.

Curious how your body's 'Chain Reaction' and '3-Dimensional Motion' impact your daily pain or performance? Let’s explore how a personalized, whole-body approach delivers measurable, lasting results—often at a lower cost than traditional rehab.

Ready to see the difference? Message me to book a complimentary consult.

Empower your movement. Your body—by design. 💡

31/10/2025

Did you know your knee is designed to move in all three planes—not just forward and back? 🦵✨

Applied Functional Science (AFS) teaches us that healthy knees need to flex, extend, rotate, and shift side-to-side, just like real life demands. Limiting knee motion can actually increase injury risk, while training for multi-directional movement builds true resilience.

In our biomechanical assessments, we use scientific measurements to analyze joint angles, torque, and velocity—helping you understand exactly how your knee moves and where you can improve. This data-driven approach guides personalized rehab and performance plans for pain-free, confident movement.

Science shows: when your knees move the way they’re built to move, you move better—period. Ready to experience the difference?

30/10/2025

Training the Abdominals/Core: What Really Works

Most people think of the abs as just a “six-pack,” but the abdominal muscles are actually a complex, four-layered group stretching from your pelvis to your rib cage. These muscles connect your upper and lower body, linking the pelvis, spine, ribs, and back through deep layers of connective tissue. This connection is what gives your core the power to stabilize, transfer force, and coordinate motion in everything you do—from reaching and twisting to running and lifting.
But here’s what most people don’t realize:

Your abs don’t simply “turn on” because you want them to. They aren’t controlled by conscious brain power. Instead, they’re activated subconsciously by your body’s sensory system. Every time you move, gravity, ground reaction forces, momentum, and three-dimensional motion send signals to special sensors (proprioceptors) in your muscles. These proprioceptors are what “turn on” your abs automatically, helping you decelerate movement in one direction and accelerate in another. This is why the abs are often one of the first muscle groups to “turn off” when something’s wrong elsewhere in the body—leading to weakness, instability, or even pain.
For Best Results:

Train your abs with functional, real-life movements that challenge them in all three planes: side-to-side (frontal), forward/back (sagittal), and rotation (transverse)
Use dynamic exercises that lengthen your abs before they contract—this is called eccentric loading, and it’s how your core gets primed to generate power (“load before explode”)
Focus on motion and stretch, not just static holds or crunches. The more your abs are challenged by authentic movement, the stronger and more reactive they become
Remember: true core strength is about stability, coordination, and resilience—not just looks

Understanding how your core truly works means you can train smarter, prevent injury, and move better every day.

If you want to see real results, start thinking beyond crunches—train your abs to react, stabilize, and support you in every direction.
Want to learn more or see these principles in action?

👉 Visit www.bobfanelli.com
Bob Fanelli, MSc, FAFS
Injury Rehab | Applied Biomechanics | Kinesiologist
Bob Fanelli, MSc, FAFS
Injury Rehab and Applied Biomechanics
Kinesiologist
Exercise Physiologist

29/10/2025

From daily pain to real freedom—possible?

Meet Lisa, age 47. She arrived at Body By Design, Inc. frustrated by nagging back pain that made daily life a struggle. Four weeks in, she’s not just pain-free—she’s back to hiking with her friends, confident her body can keep up.

How did she get here? Through a personalized biomechanics assessment and a 7-session program tailored to her unique movement patterns, tracked every step with Spark Motion video analysis. Lisa’s story is one of many—proof that real change is possible with the right guidance.

Curious what your own progress could look like? Let’s talk about your goals and see if our approach is the right fit for you.

Reach out to Bob Fanelli, MSc, FAFS, at Body By Design, Inc. in New Rochelle—where pain relief and renewed confidence start with science and empathy. 📞

28/10/2025

Unlock movement, not just manage pain.

Ever wondered why traditional rehab sometimes falls short for chronic pain? The answer often lies in the science of real-life movement—how your body truly functions, not just in the clinic, but in daily life.

Applied Functional Science (AFS) goes beyond symptoms, using advanced biomechanical analysis to pinpoint root causes and design tailored solutions for lasting results.

Curious how AFS could transform your approach to injury rehab—or help your clients finally break free from persistent pain?

Let’s connect for a deeper dive or schedule a complimentary consult to see AFS in action.

Bob Fanelli, MSc, FAFS | Body By Design, Inc. | New Rochelle, NY 📍

www.bobfanelli.com | 914-260-8216

25/10/2025

What happens when your glutes stop working?

Most people blame pain on a single muscle or joint. But real-life movement is a symphony—when one part (like your glutes) falls silent, the whole system adapts, often in ways that lead to discomfort or injury.

At Body By Design, we use Applied Functional Science and advanced video analysis to reveal how your body truly moves—beyond what you can feel or see. This isn’t just rehab. It’s a roadmap to restore confidence, prevent setbacks, and reclaim your active life.

Curious how your glutes are performing, or why pain keeps returning? Message me to explore a personalized assessment or discuss the science behind functional rehab.

Let’s move smarter—together. 🏃‍♂️

Body By Design, Inc.

22/11/2025

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